DAT: Spot rates rose despite softer September volumes

A dip in September freight volumes did little to move truckload rates one way or the other, according to DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the DAT One freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service.

Truckload volumes typically decline in September compared to August, and this year was no exception. The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI) fell for dry van and refrigerated freight but rose slightly for flatbed loads:

• Van TVI: 234, down 3% month over month and 2% year over year

• Refrigerated (reefer) TVI: 184, down 7% month over month and up 2% year over year

• Flatbed TVI: 307, up 1% month over month and 9% higher year over year

Despite lower volumes, spot rates increased slightly. “The data shows that last month’s upward pricing pressure was not the result of demand, which is a trend worth watching as we approach peak season in October and November,” said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics. “Freight imbalances and changes in available capacity drove rates higher in certain markets, as opposed to volumes.”

Spot rates rose marginally

National average spot rates increased for all three equipment types in September:

• Spot van: $2.05 per mile, up 2 cents from August

• Spot reefer: $2.44 per mile, up 3 cents

• Spot flatbed: $2.50 per mile, up 1 cent

Average linehaul rates, which exclude an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge, followed a similar pattern. The van linehaul rate rose 2 cents to $1.63 per mile, the reefer rate increased 3 cents to $1.99, and the flatbed rate gained a penny at $2.00.

Contract rates showed modest and mixed movement

• Contract van: $2.42 per mile, unchanged month over month

• Contract reefer: $2.76 per mile, up 2 cents

• Contract flatbed: $3.06 per mile, down 2 cents

“Carriers and brokers are in a tough spot when it comes to pricing,” Adamo said. “Rate increases have been modest and, in many cases, isolated to certain lanes and markets.”

He added that freight and regional imbalances are playing a role.

“For example, with less containerized freight landing at Southern California ports in September, fewer truckers were heading to destination markets for Los Angeles van freight—places like Stockton, Las Vegas, and Phoenix—and reduced capacity pushed spot rates higher in those markets,” Adamo said. “It’s healthier for everyone when rates rally on stronger shipping volumes.”