TORONTO — Spot market freight volume fell in April from both the month before and the same time a year earlier, according to new figures from Transcore Link Logistics Canadian Freight Index.

It declined to a reading of 249, down 13% from March, while it posted an even larger 23% drop compared to April 2014. The reading is also the lowest since December 2013.

Inbound cross-border loads decreased 18% in April from a year earlier while outbound cross-border loads decreased 28%.

Of the cross-border loads into Canada, 64% were bound for Ontario, 19% for Quebec, followed by western Canada seeing 15%.

Inbound cross-border trucks increased 27% from April 2014 while outbound cross-border equipment availability increased 33%.

Forty-three percent of the inbound cross-border trucks went to Ontario while the second greatest number, 33%, went to the western part of the country.

Cross-border load postings accounted for 72% of the data submitted by Loadlink’s Canadian-based customers.

Intra-Canada load volumes represented 23% of the total spot market load volume and were down 27% year-over-year.

Equipment capacity loosened for April, increasing to over two available trucks for every load for the first time this year. The equipment-to-load ratio jumped to 2.50 from 1.95 in March and from 1.46 compared to April 2014.

Postings for truck availability increased 12% month-over-month and 31% year-over-year.

TransCore’s Canadian Freight Index measures trends from about 5,000 of Canada’s trucking companies and freight brokers, and includes data submitted by Loadlink’s Canadian-based customers.