Rates and Freight Generally Down on the Spot Market

New figures from the freight matching service provider DAT show available freight on the spot market has fallen over the past week.

Overall loads fell 2.5% August 18 through 24, compared to the previous seven days.

Not surprisingly load-to-truck ratios were also down, with flatbeds and reefers recording a 3.7% decline each, while the ratio for van loads fell 4.3%

The only one of the three sectors showing any improvement with rates during the period was for flatbeds, increasing 0.9% for an average of $2.19 per mile. Vans fell 0.5% for an average of $1.84 while reefers saw a whopping 4.1% decline to $2.11 per mile.

DAT says rates for reefers are all over the map with the highest being from Atlanta to Lakeland, Fla. at $3.11 per mile while the lowest is from Lakeland to Los Angeles at $1.22 per mile, with fuel.

Rates for vans in the top 13 markets reported gains in only three.

The increase in total number of loads available for flatbeds came along with a decline in freight availability.