U.S. spot freight rates fall from previous week

Spot freight ratesSpot market freight rates posted declines as Christmas approached, according to numbers from the freight matching service provider DAT Solutions.

The biggest drop was 0.9% in the flatbed sector Dec. 14 through Dec. 20 compared to the previous seven days, for an average of $2.30 per mile. This is its lowest level out of the last four weeks, but rates have remained strong for flatbeds this month in what is typically a slow season, according to DAT.

Van freight posted a 0.5% drop in rates for an average of $2.08 per mile, while reefer rates fell 0.4% for an average of $2.34 per mile. DAT said both drops were due to a decline in the fuel surcharge, as the linehaul portion of the rates were unchanged.

Rates also fell as the spot market freight volume fell 2.6%, a greater margin than the 0.8% decline in spot market truck capacity.

Falling rates also translated into mixed load-to-truck ratios, with the ratio actually improving 1.1% for flatbeds, nudging it higher to 13.9 loads per truck, due to a 6.1% decline in flatbed truck capacity. The reefer ratio fell just 0.5% to 9.6 loads per truck, while the van load to truck ratio dropped 2.1% to 3.4 loads per truck, the latter still showing unusually strong demand for the time of the year.


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