DAT SOLUTIONS: Spot rates edge upward to start May

Load posts on DAT MembersEdge were up another 1 percent last week, though there was a much bigger jump in reefer load posts now that we’re in produce season. Truck posts fell 1 percent, which pushed load-to-truck ratios higher for each trailer type.

Rates for all three equipment types responded, too, moving higher compared to the previous week.

• Van: $2.18 per mile, up 2 cents week over week and 48 cents higher than a year ago
• Flatbed: $2.72 per mile, up 7 cents. This is the highest flatbed rate ever recorded in DAT Trendlines
• Reefer: $2.48 per mile, up 6 cents. This rate is 5 cents above the April average and 51 cents higher than one year ago

Spot truckload freight availability during the month of April was 3.9 percent higher compared to March and 100 percent higher year over year. Available capacity was up 2.2 percent compared to March and 7.5 percent year over year.

Diesel prices keep climbing, with the national average up another 2 cents to $3.17 per gallon last week.

Van overview
Van load posts increased 1 percent last week while van posts increased 3 percent. That caused the van load-to-truck ratio to gain 1 percent to 6.2 loads per truck. Contract rates are also up, and have risen faster than spot markets in recent months.

Hot van markets
Retail freight is back after the winter lull, which is reflected in these markets:

• Los Angeles – $2.42 per mile, up 7 cents on a 2.8 percent increase in volume
• Memphis – $2.67 per mile, up 9 cents with a 3.3 percent volume increase

Several van lanes showed higher rates:

• Memphis to Columbus, Ohio – $2.76 per mile, up 19 cents
• Atlanta to Philadelphia – $2.95 per mile, up 14 cents
• Charlotte to Buffalo – $2.94 per mile, up 17 cents

Flatbed overview
Nationally, the number of flatbed load posts was unchanged while truck posts declined 3 percent. The flatbed load-to-truck ratio increased 3 percent to 111 loads per truck, which ties the record set during the first week of April. The flatbed load-to-truck ratio has been above 100 loads per truck for six weeks in a row.

Reefer overview
Reefer load posts increased 10 percent while truck posts declined 2 percent, which sent the national reefer load-to-truck ratio up 12 percent to 9.2 loads per truck.

Hot reefer markets
With produce harvests heating up, Los Angeles ($3.02 per mile, up 11 cents), Miami ($3.06 per mile, up 59 cents), and Lakeland, Fla ($2.43 per mile, up 40 cents) were among major reefer markets with sizable gains in the average outbound rate. Lanes with gains:

• Miami to Boston – $3.05 per mile, up 79 cents
• Lakeland to Baltimore – $3.09 per mile, up 54 cents
• Miami to Atlanta – $3.05 per mile, up 52 cents

Rates are derived from DAT RateView, which provides real-time reports on prevailing spot market and contract rates, as well as historical rate and capacity trends. All reported rates include fuel surcharges.

For the latest spot market load availability and rate information, visit the MyMembersEdge.com load board or tune in to Land Line Now. You can get all of the latest rate information at dat.com per industry-trends per trendlines, comment on the DAT Freight Talk blog, or join us on Facebook. On Twitter you can tweet your questions to us @LoadBoards and have your questions answered by DAT industry analyst Mark Montague.