How The Big Game Impacted Freight Volumes
Super Bowl LX drove a spike in trucking freight volumes into San Jose. New data shows which equipment types benefited most.
What does the data show about the year's biggest game's demand on freight logistics?
HDT Graphic
The Patriots and the Seahawks meet in California this Sunday for Super Bowl LX. But for supply chain, trucking, and logistics professionals, the big game isn’t just a sporting event — it’s a freight event.
Hosting the Big Game requires a massive surge of inbound freight.
Beyond food and beverages, the week leading up to the game drives demand for tailgating supplies, equipment, temporary infrastructure, and last-minute expedited shipments.
Inbound load volumes for this year’s Super Bowl in San Jose, California, compared to last year’s event in New Orleans over a three-week period leading up to the week of the event.
Truckstop.com
What the Data Shows About Big Game Freight Patterns
According to Truckstop.com, inbound load volumes to the San Jose market jumped significantly during the week of January 25–31, both week over week and year over year.
Flatbed and reefer were the big winners looking at load volumes, week over week, for the three main equipment types for this year’s NFL Championship Game. (The last week recorded was the week ending Jan. 31, so the change is compared to the week ending Jan. 24.)
Truckstop.com
Inbound Load Volume Increases
- Flatbed: +30% WoW | +200% YoY
- Reefer: +18% WoW | +3% YoY
- Van: +10% WoW | +29% YoY
Higher volumes also drove rate increases for several equipment types:
Inbound Spot Rates
- Reefer: $2.72 avg | +12.4% WoW | +22% YoY
- Flatbed: $3.02 avg | +3.4% WoW | +0.3% YoY
- Van: $2.18 avg | -5.6% WoW | -0.46% YoY
Early indications suggest reefer and flatbed carriers are the clear winners in this year’s “freight Super Bowl," according to Truckstop.com, though van may be positioning itself for a stronger run in the game
How does this year's Big Game compare to other big events?
Truckstop.com
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