DAT: Higher fuel costs lifted April truckload rates; freight volumes eased

Truckload spot and contract rates climbed sharply in April, but the gains came almost entirely from higher fuel costs, reported DAT Freight & Analytics, provider of the industry's leading load board and freight analytics.

The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), an indicator of loads moved in April, declined month over month for van, refrigerated, and flatbed equipment types:

• Van TVI: 251, down 3% from March, up 2% year over year
• Reefer TVI: 183, down 9% from March, up 1% year over year
• Flatbed TVI: 306, down 3% from March, up 3% year over year

Modest movement in linehaul rates

Driven largely by fuel costs, national average spot truckload freight rates rose in April and were significantly higher year over year:

• Van: $2.67 per mile, up 15 cents from March and 71 cents higher year over year
• Reefer: $3.11 per mile, up 14 cents from March and 83 cents higher year over year
• Flatbed: $3.46 per mile, up 37 cents from March and 94 cents higher year over year

Linehaul rates—the portion of the spot rate that excludes fuel—moved modestly. The average van linehaul rate rose 5 cents to $1.96 per mile; reefer increased 4 cents to $2.34; and flatbed climbed 25 cents to $2.61. The flatbed increase was the only move large enough to suggest a meaningful rise in demand.

“Fuel was the story in April,” said Dean Croke, principal industry analyst at DAT. “Linehaul rates barely moved in van and reefer, and the volume of loads moved fell across the board. Small carriers continue to exit the market under sustained cost pressure. That’s not what a demand-based truckload freight recovery looks like.”

Per-mile fuel surcharges in April hit their highest monthly averages since July 2022:

• Van: 71 cents, up from 61 cents in March
• Reefer: 77 cents, up from 67 cents
• Flatbed: 85 cents, up from 73 cents

Spot-contract rate spread narrowed in April

National average contract freight rates also increased in April, although spot market rates continued to rise faster across most equipment types:

• Van: $2.85 per mile, up 13 cents from March
• Reefer: $3.22 per mile, up 12 cents
• Flatbed: $3.71 per mile, up 28 cents

Spot-to-contract spreads have compressed substantially since late 2025 and have remained in a tight range through April. The average spot van rate was 18 cents higher than the contract rate, down from 20 cents in March. The reefer spread was 11 cents, down from 13 cents, while the flatbed spread narrowed to 25 cents from 34 cents in March.

“In a typical freight upcycle, strong demand for truckload services pushes spot rates above contract rates,” said Croke. “What we’re seeing now is different. Spreads are tightening because there are simply fewer trucks available relative to demand, while much of the recent rate increase is being absorbed by fuel costs instead of improving carrier margins.”