There were 1.8 million loads available on DAT One last week, down almost 8% compared to the previous week but 15% higher year over year.
According to a company press release, the number of available trucks posted on the network fell 6% to 307,925, the lowest weekly total since Labor Day week. The reefer load-to-truck ratio increased amid demand to move fresh and frozen goods ahead of Thanksgiving.
Van volumes slipped
“The number of dry van load posts declined by 10%, much the same as last year in the first shipping week of November,” said Dean Croke, DAT iQ industry analyst. “However, the figure was 14% higher year over year. Excluding the pandemic-affected years of 2021 and 2022, van load posts for Week 45 are 5% higher than in previous years, indicating ongoing strength in the spot market.
Spot van rates are holding up
According to Croke, at $1.67 a mile, last week’s national average linehaul van rate was around 11 cents higher year over year and up 4 cents since the ILA strike and hurricanes Milton and Helene made landfall.
Truckload freight volume from Seattle increased as B.C. port strikes rolled on
“ILWU Local 514 members went on strike at the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Fraser-Surrey on Nov. 4; the BCMEA locked out workers the same day,” Croke said. “With both sides saying they’re at an impasse, the Canadian government ordered binding arbitration today. The work stoppage boosted truckload volumes out of the Seattle freight market, where the average van rate was up 5 cents to $1.39 a mile last week, nearly 10 cents higher year over year. From Seattle to Stockton, load volumes rose 1.4% and were up 55% month over month. The average spot van linehaul rate on that lane increased 4 cents to 97 cents a mile, still 7 cents lower year over year.”
Flatbed load volumes continued to slide
“Following the surge in activity resulting from hurricanes Milton and Helene, flatbed load volumes continued to decline last week,” Croke said. “Compared to the previous week, volumes in the Southeast fell 8% and 9% in the Lakeland, Florida, market.”
Dry Vans
▼ Van loads: 823,754, down 10% week over week
▼ Van equipment: 204,207, down 6%
▲ Linehaul rate: $1.67 net fuel, up 2 cents
▼ Load-to-truck ratio: 4.0, down from 4.2
Reefers
▼ Reefer loads: 397,713, down 4% week over week
▼ Reefer equipment: 60,199, down 9.5%
▲ Linehaul rate: $2.03 net fuel, up 1 cent
▲ Load-to-truck ratio: 6.6, up from 6.2
Flatbeds
▼ Flatbed loads: 569,028, down 5.9% week over week
— Flatbed equipment: 43,519, virtually unchanged
▲ Linehaul rate: $1.99 net fuel, up 2 cents
▼ Load-to-truck ratio: 13.1, down from 13.9
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
