Spot truckload rates and loads see declines, for week of July 21-27, reports DAT

Seasonal trends were apparent, for the week of July 21-27, in spot market data provided to LM from DAT Freight & Analytics.

DAT said that the number of loads on the DAT One load board marketplace dropped for the second consecutive week, falling 3%, to 1.83 million, compared to the previous week, while falling 7% annually, with truck posts down 6%, to 324,253.

The weekly breakdown for van loads, van equipment, load-to-truck ration and linehaul rates for Dry Vans, Reefers (refrigerated), and flatbeds provided by DAT is below.

• Dry Vans: Van loads: 863,599 down 1.9% week over week; Van equipment: 212,812 down 6.2%; Load-to-truck ratio: 4.1, up from 4.0; and Linehaul rate: $1.64 net fuel, down $0.01 week over week;
• Reefers: Reefer loads: 409,340 down 3.8% week over week; Reefer equipment: 64,446 down 7.5%; Load-to-truck ratio: 6.4, up from 6.3; and Linehaul rate: $1.96 net fuel, down $0.04; and
• Flatbeds: Flatbed loads: 559,343 down 5.6% week over week; Flatbed equipment: 46,995, down 4.2%; Load-to-truck ratio: 11.9, down from 12.5; and Linehaul rate: $2.00 net fuel, down $0.02

DAT Principal Analyst Dean Croke observed that at 4.1, the national average dry van load-to-truck ratio is the highest for Week 30 in eight years, except for the pandemic year of 2020, when it was 4.2.

“The national average dry van linehaul spot rate has decreased by 6 cents per mile in the last month,” he said. “The average rate of $1.64 per mile is almost the same as last year.

On DAT One’s Top 50 van lanes (based on the number of loads moved), the average rate was $2.03 a mile, down 3 cents week over week. At $1.96 per mile, the average reefer linehaul rate was 3 cents lower year over year and 2 cents lower than the three-month trailing average. Weak produce shipments have affected demand for reefer trucks: the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that truckload produce volumes for Week 30 are among the lowest in 10 years.”