Volumes

October spot truckload volumes and rates were largely mixed again, according to the new edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index, which was recently released by DAT Freight and Analytics.

In this podcast, LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviews Kevin Huntsman, President, Mastio & Company.

The Port of Los Angeles reported that total volume, at 883,053 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), fell 7.5% annually, and the Port of Long Beach reported that total September volume, at 797,537 TEU, was off 3.9% annually.

The September shipments reading, at 1.042, was down 5.4% annually, faring better than August’s 9.3% annual decrease, and increased 2.5% over August. The September shipments reading, at 1.042, was down 5.4% annually, faring better than August’s 9.3% annual decrease, and increased 2.5% over August.

Maersk Ground Freight recently announced it has opened a 100,000-square-foot facility in Coppell, Texas, just five miles from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The combined station and linehaul hub will handle thousands of shipments each week, serving both the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area and Maersk’s wider national network.

For July, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI reading came in at -1.03, faring better than June’s -1.83 reading, the lowest in 2025, with the firm noting that the TCI improved despite all freight-related factors coming in lower than in June.

The July reading of the ATA advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index came in at 113.7 (2015=100), a 0.6% gain on the heels of a 0.7% June decline.

The report’s second quarter shipment index value, at 77.2, increased 2.4% compared to the first quarter, snapping a stretch of 11 consecutive sequential declines, while falling 9.8% annually. As for spending, the second quarter spend index value, at 179.9, was up 1.2% sequentially and down 4.9% annually.

The May reading of the ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index came in at 113.8 (2015=100), down 0.1% compared to April.

For April, the most recent month for which data is available, the TCI fell to -0.81, following a 0.28 March reading. This followed a -0.21 February reading, which marked an improvement over January’s -2.56 reading, and nearly erased all of the growth seen in December, which posted a 2.67 reading. Which was preceded by November’s 3.02, its highest reading going back to April 2022.

Total volume, at 716,619 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) saw a 5% annual decline, with the port noting that the lower tally reflects the impact of tariffs on imports and exports.

The April reading of the ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index came in at 113.0 (2015=100), off 0.3% from March’s 113.3 reading.

The report said that U.S.-bound imports are expected to be down at least 20%, from June into the fall, with the annual total potentially down by 10%.

On the revenue side, the report found that 71% of respondents forecasted positive revenue growth, down 3% from the second quarter, and up 6% compared to the first quarter. And it added that 16% of respondents are neutral, up from 12% in the second quarter, with 14% negative, matching the second quarter.

POLA reported that total March volume came in at 778,406 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), for a 4.7% annual gain, and the Port of Long Beach reported that total March volume, at 817,457 TEU, increased 25% annually.