Freight volume has recovered over the past week on the DAT spot market, but rates continue moving lower.

The number of spot market loads available on the company’s network of loadboards increased 3.8% for the week ending Aug. 1 compared to the previous seven days as truck capacity fell by 2.7%.

Despite this, the average refrigerated van rate declined 0.9% to $2.13 per mile – a 6 cent decline from three weeks earlier.

Vans and flatbeds both posted a 1 cent drop to $1.82 and $2.13 per mile, respectively. Vans are down 5 cents from three weeks ago, while flatbeds have fallen 3 cents during the same time.

These declines came despite load to truck ratios increasing in all three sectors, with the largest happening with flatbeds, 9.9%, resulting in 14.5 loads available per truck, as flatbed load posts increased 6% while truck posts fell 3%.

The van ratio increased 5.8% to 1.7 loads per truck as load availability improved 3.2% while truck capacity slipped 2.5%.

The refrigerated truck load-to-truck ratio increased 2.4% to 4.2 loads per truck as load volume held steady while truck posts fell just 2%.

Despite the lower rates, there are still some reefer hot spots around the country, according to DAT Analyst Peggy Dorf in the DAT Blog, where you may find above-average rates.