MENU
SEARCHThe spot truckload freight market returned to seasonal norms during the week ending July 15 as the number of posted loads increased 35% and truck posts added 28%, according to DAT Solutions and its network of load boards.
The spot truckload freight market returned to seasonal norms during the week ending July 15 as the number of posted loads increased 35% and truck posts added 28%, according to DAT Solutions and its network of load boards.
Higher demand did not lead to higher rates, however, as urgency subsided during the first full week after the Fourth of July holiday. National average spot van, refrigerated, and flatbed rates all settled down.
The top 100 van lanes hit records for volume last week and van load posts increased 21% and truck posts increased 30% nationally. That caused the van load-to-truck ratio to decline 7% to 5 to 1.
The national average van rate fell to $1.83 mile, down 7 cents after a 10-cent gain the week before but still 3 cents higher than the June average.
Prices were lower in the Southeast, South Central, and Northeast regions. Allentown, Pennsylvania, lost 11 cents for an average of $2.03 per mile and Philadelphia dropped 4 cents to $1.70 per mile. All reported rates include fuel surcharges.
Other major van markets also showed declines over the past week:
Los Angeles: $2.21 per mile, down 8 cents
Charlotte: $2.25 per mile, down 8 cents
Atlanta: $2.20 per mile, down 5 cents
Dallas: $1.78 per mile, down 6 cents
Houston: $1.84 per mile, down 5 cents
Reefer load posts increased 27% week-over-week while truck posts were up 17%. The national load-to-truck ratio increased 8.5% to 9 to 1. The national average rate retreated 5 cents to $2.12 per mile, matching the June average.
Despite the overall decline, the range for reefer rates is wide with outbound freight paying $1.62 per mile from Lakeland, Florida to $2.75 per mile outbound from Green Bay.
Flatbed volumes didn’t slip as expected in the first half of July. Instead, there were 52% more loads posted last week than the week before, and rates are holding up at the highest levels in two years at $2.20 mile, just 1 cent lower from last week.
Truck posts jumped 45%, which caused the load-to-truck ratio to increase 5% to 38 to 1.
Big boosts in volume led to rate increases on a couple of key lanes last week:
Memphis-Dallas had more loads and rates were up 30 cents to $3.10 per mile
Houston-Oklahoma City volume more than doubled, and rates rose 17 cents to $3.13 mile
How a former commercial vehicle enforcement officer turned director of safety at K&B Transportation is embracing real-world safety technology.
Read More →
When the unexpected happens, how you react to, and deal with operational blind spots is critical. Here’s how to keep you recovery on track, when nothing is normal.
Read More →
As fleets adopt artificial intelligence for routing, maintenance, and load matching, new security risks are emerging. Learn where the vulnerabilities are and how to put the right controls in place.
Read More →
The long-awaited registration system promises a single portal — and tighter fraud controls.
Read More →
CargoNet reports fewer supply chain crime events to start 2026. But losses hold steady as organized crime shifts tactics toward impersonation schemes and high-value goods.
Read More →
Heavy Duty Trucking is searching for forward-looking leaders at trucking fleets as nominations for HDT’s Truck Fleet Innovators 2026. Deadline is May 15.
Read More →
Cargo theft rings plant operatives as drivers inside legitimate, fully vetted carriers, then execute coordinated thefts that look like a traditional straight theft from the outside.
Read More →
A modest sequential increase capped the strongest quarterly performance in years, signaling continued freight momentum in early 2026.
Read More →
More than 300 carriers across 26 states have been sent to collections as the Ohio Turnpike cracks down on toll evasion and delinquent payments.
Read More →
The American Transportation Research Institute will examine driver coaching, regulatory impacts — including the "Beyond Compliance" concept —and weather disruptions that shape trucking operations.
Read More →
