DAT: Truckload Volumes Slipped in April; Spot Van, Reefer Rates Dive

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Truckload freight volumes retreated and spot-market rates dropped sharply in April, compounding pressure on small trucking companies and independent operators already strained by record fuel prices, said DAT Freight & Analytics, operators of the outindustry’s largest truckload freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service.

DAT’s April Truckload Volume Index (TVI) for dry van freight was 273, 10% lower compared to March; the refrigerated TVI was 190, down 10%; and the flatbed TVI was 229, a 6% decrease.

Truckload volumes typically decline from March to April, with freight movement in a seasonal lull. Year over year, the April TVI was 12% higher for van freight, 10.5% higher for reefers and 15.1% higher for flatbed loads, indicating strong overall demand for truckload services.

The national average price to move van freight under contract remained at $3.26 per mile in April, extending the previous monthly high. The average contract reefer rate was $3.43 a mile, unchanged from March, while the flatbed rate rose 9 cents to $3.79 a mile.

Spot load-posting activity fell 27%

On the spot market, where terms to move loads are negotiated as one-time transactions between a freight broker and a carrier, the supply of trucks outpaced demand and drove rates substantially lower.

The national average van load-to-truck ratio dropped from 4.6 in March to 3.4, meaning there were 3.4 available loads for every van posted on the DAT One load board network. The reefer load-to-truck ratio was 6.3, down from 8.4, while the flatbed ratio fell from 89.8 to 64.5. Compared to March, there were 27% fewer loads posted in April and 2.8% fewer trucks.

Spot van rate fell 28 cents per mile

The national average van rate fell 28 cents to $2.77 per mile, the lowest monthly average since August 2021. The spot reefer rate was $3.13 per mile, down 32 cents, and the flatbed rate was unchanged at $3.40 per mile, a record high.

Spot rates incorporate a fuel surcharge. Removing fuel, the van rate averaged $2.13 a mile; the reefer rate was $2.43 a mile; and the flatbed rate was $2.63 a mile. The national average price of diesel fuel was $5.12 per gallon, up 2 cents compared to March and $1.99 higher year over year.

“Our April TVI data supports what we’ve been communicating for months: shippers are seeing increased routing guide compliance at the same time truckers on the spot market are contending with extreme volatility in lower rates and higher fuel costs,” said Ken Adamo, DAT’s Chief of Analytics. “We expect these conditions to continue. However, we have yet to see the glut of capacity and overall lack of freight that produced a prolonged down-cycle in late 2018 and 2019.”

For more information about DAT iQ, go to dat.com/iQ.

About the DAT Truckload Volume Index

The DAT Truckload Volume Index is produced by DAT iQ and reflects the change in the number of van, refrigerated and flatbed loads moved with a pickup date during that month. Index numbers are normalized each month to accommodate any new data sources without distortion. Baseline of 100 equals the number of loads moved in January 2015.

Rates are derived from RateView, DAT’s database of $116 billion in annualized freight transactions, and include over-the-road lanes with lengths of haul of 250 miles or more. Spot rates represent the payments made to carriers by freight brokers, third-party logistics providers and other transportation buyers. Contract rates are paid by the shipper to the carrier.

About DAT Freight & Analytics

DAT Freight & Analytics operates DAT One, the largest truckload freight marketplace in North America, and the DAT iQ data analytics service. Shippers, transportation brokers, motor carriers, news organizations and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and pricing insights derived from 249 million freight matches on the spot market and a database of $116 billion in annualized spot and contract truckload freight transactions.

Founded in 1978, DAT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Technologies (NYSE:ROP), a diversified technology company and constituent of the S&P 500, Fortune 500 and Russell 1000 indices. DAT.com