Spot truckload freight volume increased 25.7% during the week of Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, DAT Freight & Analytics said, which operates the industry’s largest load board network and the DAT iQ data analytics service. The number of available trucks fell 26.0% compared to the previous week, which pushed spot rates higher.
Truckload spot van freight hit $3.16 per mile as a weekly average, up 12 cents compared to the previous week and an all-time high, according to a DAT Freight and Analytics press release. The average spot reefer rate jumped 10 cents to $3.66 per mile last week, also a record high seven-day average, while the average flatbed rate was unchanged at $3.13 per mile. All rates include a fuel surcharge.
It’s not unusual for demand for truckload capacity to swing significantly during the final week of December, when shippers are feeling urgency to move freight before the end of the year; more carriers take time off for the holidays; and traffic and weather can be unpredictable.
