
The amount of freight available on the spot market has jumped but rates have moved barely higher, if at all for some cargo.
The freight matching service provider DAT reports the total number of loads available increased 7.5% May 11 through May 17 compared to the previous seven days, while truck capacity grew 1.5%.


The amount of freight available on the spot market has jumped but rates have moved barely higher, if at all for some cargo.
The freight matching service provider DAT reports the total number of loads available increased 7.5% May 11 through May 17, compared to the previous seven days, while truck capacity grew 1.5%.
This led to average rates for van and flatbeds being unchanged from the week before, at $1.96 and $2.35 per mile, respectively. Flatbeds are holding at their April average, which is 2.2% higher than from March.
Reefer rates increased an average of 0.9% during the same time to $2.31 per mile, its best showing out of the last four weeks, as demand for shipping produce continues growing.
This happened as the van-to-truck ratio for reefers gained the most of the three sectors, picking up 16%, while the ratio increased 13% for vans. It fell 5.9% for flatbeds.
Writing early this month in the DAT Freight Talk Blog, Analyst Mark Montague noted reefer rates in Florida have been soaring due to so much produce being available, while van freight there is “equally plentiful.”

Fleet Advantage's Brian Antonellis says it's time for fleets to get back to the fundamentals of good maintenance practices. And that includes replacing older, inefficient equipment.
Read More →
Load matching for flatbed, lowbed, oversize and overweight loads can't be automated like basic van freight, but Truckstop.com is adding more high-tech tools to help.
Read More →
An expanded Trucker Path and Truckstop.com integration brings more freight opportunities into the TruckLoads app while emphasizing security and network quality.
Read More →
Strong March freight demand combined with a spike in fuel costs pushed both spot and contract truckload rates to their highest levels in more than two years.
Read More →
Everyone’s talking about AI — but is your transportation management system actually built for it?
Read More →
Being part of KTG will allow Sharp to expand and improve its services.
Read More →
The Fair Compensation for Truck Crash Victims Act would increase insurance requirements for interstate motor carriers by nearly seven times.
Read More →
Strong freight rates push TCI to 10.2, but FTR expects fuel-price volatility to skew March results.
Read More →
C.H. Robinson is waiving fees on fuel cards and cash advances for April and May, aiming to help carriers offset rising diesel costs tied to geopolitical instability.
Read More →
Looking for trucking-related conventions, expos, and other events? Heavy Duty Trucking has developed this list of national and larger regional trucking shows and events.
Read More →