BEAVERTON, Ore. — Harsh winter travel conditions across the country constrained capacity, but not enough to heat up national average spot truckload rates, according to DAT Freight & Analytics.
“At $1.76 a mile, last week’s national average dry van rate was 1 cent lower year over year on a nearly identical volume of loads,” said Dean Croke, DAT iQ industry analyst. “DAT’s Top 50 van lanes by loads moved last week averaged $2.09 a mile, down 5 cents compared to the previous week and 9 cents lower over the last two weeks.”
▼ Van rate: $1.76 net fuel, down 5 cents
▼ Reefer rate: $2.11 net fuel, down 5 cents
▼ Flatbed rate: $2.01 net fuel, down 2 cents
Unprecedented weather caused capacity to tighten significantly in Gulf Coast markets, pushing spot linehaul rates higher compared to the previous week. Weather in Texas and Louisiana were major factors in spot truckload rates.
New Orleans Market
- Van: $1.77 a mile, up 8 cents.
- Reefer: $1.88 a mile, up 12 cents.
Houston Market:
- Van: $1.68 a mile, up 5 cents.
- Reefer: $1.85 a mile, up 9 cents.
California Wildfires
“The impact of fires on California’s agricultural freight could be substantial,” Croke said. “Crop production in Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties employs nearly 87,000 people and accounts for 27% of the country’s fruit, 24% of its melons and vegetables, and 19% of its tree nuts, according to IMPLAN.”
Harvest activity typically picks up from now through March and peaks in June. Last week, reefer rates increased modestly from DAT markets that include these nine counties:
- San Francisco market: $2.19 a mile, up 2 cents.
- Fresno market: $2.07 a mile, up 5 cents.
- Los Angeles market: $2.39 a mile, unchanged.
- Ontario market: $2.41 a mile, up 1 cent.
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.
