TransCore's Truckload Rate Index is showing some positive signs in early February after lack-luster January.
In the week ending February 4, van rates increased by 1.1 percent nationwide after a month-long decline. The average $1.26 line haul rate is a welcomed reverse from the falling rates seen throughout most of the previous month.

Example lanes showing an increase include Chicago to Los Angeles, up 5 cents per mile, Dallas to Los Angeles up 6 cents per mile, and Atlanta to Los Angeles up 7 cents per mile, all in the last two weeks. Some short haul van lanes are showing sharp increases including Atlanta, GA to Charlotte, NC.

Rates received a boost in Atlanta, which reported a 1.5 percent increase in lane rates. Lane rates were stable for vans in the Chicago and Dallas markets and in the Upper Rockies. The recent jump in rates may be the beginning of a trend or merely a recovery from recent winter storms, TransCore says.

A more detailed analysis of weekly truckload rate trends can be found here.