PORTLAND, Ore. — Spot truckload freight volume had the strongest April on record despite slipping 6.8 percent lower compared to March, a common seasonal trend. Compared to the same month in 2017, freight availability rose 32 percent, according to the DAT North American Freight Index.
Flatbeds contributed disproportionately to the volume increase, with a 59 percent boost compared to a year ago.
The Freight Index, a monthly measure of demand for spot market freight, is published by DAT Solutions, which operates North America’s largest load board marketplace.
Flatbed freight rates set another record in April, at $2.65 per mile, including fuel, a 12-cent increase over the previous record in March. Flatbed rates were a full 58 cents higher in April than in the previous year.
Van rates rose to $2.16 per mile, a 2-cent increase compared to March. Rates for refrigerated or “reefer” cargo were up 3 cents to $2.43 per mile month over month. Rates gained 49 cents per mile for both trailer types, compared to April 2017.
Rates continued to rise sharply through the first week in May, as weather improved in the Northeast and Midwest, and produce harvests added to pressure on truck capacity in the Southern band of states, especially Georgia and Florida.
“May and June are typically peak season for agriculture and construction, and retail freight appears to be expanding, as well,” said DAT industry analyst Mark Montague. “Seasonal demand should keep rates high at least through the end of the second quarter.”
Established in 1978, DAT operates a network of load boards serving intermediaries and carriers across North America. For more than a decade DAT has published its Freight Index, which is representative of the dynamic spot market.
Referenced rates are the averages, by equipment type, based on $45 billion of actual transactions, as recorded in DAT RateView. Reference rates per mile include fuel surcharges, but not accessorials or other fees.
The DAT Freight Index reflects load posting volume on the DAT network of load boards, and 100 on the Index represents the average monthly volume in the year 2000. Additional trends and analysis are available at DAT Trendlines: DAT.com/trendlines.
DAT operates the largest truckload freight marketplace in North America. Transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations and industry analysts use DAT for market trends and data insights derived from 179 million freight matches in 2017, and a database of $45 billion of market transactions. Related services include a comprehensive directory of companies with business history, credit, safety, insurance and company reviews; broker transportation management software; authority, fuel tax, mileage, vehicle licensing, and registration services; and carrier onboarding.
Founded in 1978, DAT Solutions LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Technologies, a diversified technology company and constituent of the S&P 500, Fortune 1000, and Russell 1000 indices. Go to DAT.com for more information.
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