PORTLAND, Ore.– TransCore’s latest North American Freight Index shows that August was the highest level in five years.

Spot market freight availability in August increased 75 percent over the same month last year.

On a month-over-month basis, however, load volume was 14 percent lower in August than in July. This follows the seasonal pattern of the past five years, when spot market loads declines by an average of 5 percent in the latter half of the summer months.

Though, counter to historical trends, van spot market freight declined by the same 14 percent. Usually, van loads increase by an average of 5 percent in August, compared to July.

TransCore says the dip in van freight may be from an acceleration in imported goods shipments. Container traffic reportedly arrived early this year, to avoid down-time in busy West Coast ports.

TransCore’s year-over-year comparisons are expected to be progressively less dramatic in the coming months, the company says, as spot market freight volume in the last quarter will be compared to when freight volume began improving slightly at the end of 2009.