DAT: Truckload volumes held steady in July as summer seasonality peaks

BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Truckload freight volumes held steady in July as summer seasonality took hold, driven by produce and retail goods moving ahead of the Independence Day holiday, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the DAT One freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service. Volumes softened gradually through the rest of the month.

The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which measures monthly loads moved, was flat compared to June and up modestly year over year:

• Van TVI: 249, down 0.4% from June, up 3% from July 2024
• Refrigerated (reefer) TVI: 202, up 2% month over month, up 11% year over year
• Flatbed TVI: 314, down 3% month over month, up 8% year over year.

“The truckload market remains soft with no meaningful shifts in demand or capacity, aside from seasonal bumps and tactics by shippers managing tariffs,” said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics.

Rates showed mixed movement

National average spot van and reefer rates inched higher as carriers sought to offset rising fuel costs:

• Spot van: $2.05 per mile, up 3 cents from June
• Spot reefer: $2.42 per mile, up 5 cents
• Spot flatbed: $2.55 per mile, down 2 cents

Linehaul rates, which exclude an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge, were mostly stable. The van linehaul rate averaged $1.63 per mile, unchanged month over month. The reefer rate increased 2 cents to $1.96, and the flatbed rate slipped 6 cents to $2.04.

The monthly average fuel surcharge increased by 3 cents in July to 42 cents for vans, 46 cents for reefers, and 51 cents for flatbeds — the highest this year.

Prolonged soft market persists

Contract rates mirrored the uptick in fuel surcharges:

• Contract van: $2.44 per mile, up 4 cents month over month
• Contract reefer: $2.78 per mile, up 4 cents
• Contract flatbed: $3.08 per mile, up 3 cents

“There are carriers with low cost structures and steady customers that are negotiating better contracts,” said Adamo, “but in general, there’s a feeling that volumes and rates are stuck. Barring some major event, there’s nothing to suggest that’s going to change any time soon.”

About the Truckload Volume Index

The DAT Truckload Volume Index reflects the change in the number of loads with a pickup date during that month. A baseline of 100 equals the number of loads moved in January 2015, as recorded in DAT RateView, a database tracking rates paid on an average of 3 million loads per month. DAT benchmark spot rates are derived from invoice data for hauls of 250 miles or more with a pickup date during the month reported.

About DAT Freight & Analytics

DAT Freight & Analytics operates the DAT One truckload freight marketplace; Convoy Platform, an automated freight-matching technology; DAT iQ analytics service; Trucker Tools load-visibility platform; and Outgo factoring and financial services for truckers. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations, and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights, informed by nearly 700,000 daily load posts and a database exceeding $1 trillion in freight market transactions.

Founded in 1978, DAT is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, DAT continues to set the standard for innovation in the trucking and logistics industry. Visit dat.com for more information.