Demand for trucks on the spot market rose in December, suggesting solid retail and grocery sales ahead of the holidays, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the DAT One freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service.

The van and refrigerated Truckload Volume Index (TVI) increased modestly compared to November:

• Van TVI: 260, up 2.4%
• Refrigerated TVI: 220, up 3%
• Flatbed TVI: 237, down 5%

Year over year, the van and reefer TVI were up 12% and 20%, respectively, and the flatbed TVI was 7% higher.

“December freight volumes were strong despite the quirks of the calendar,” said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics, noting that Christmas fell on a Wednesday and there were only three non-holiday weeks between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. “The combination of seasonal volumes, fewer shipping days, and truckers taking time off for the holidays led to higher spot prices compared to November. Net fuel, the van rate was the highest monthly average since January 2023.”

Truckload rates shifted higher

The national average spot rates increased for all three equipment types:

• Spot van: $2.11 per mile ($1.74 net fuel), up 9 cents compared to November
• Spot reefer: $2.47 ($2.06 net fuel), up 2 cents
• Spot flatbed: $2.39 ($1.94 net fuel), up 2 cents

National average contract van and flatbed rates edged higher last month:

• Contract van rate: $2.42 per mile, up 2 cents
• Contract reefer rate: $2.74 a mile, unchanged
• Contract flatbed rate: $3.06 a mile, up 3 cents

“The difference between van and reefer spot and contract rates narrowed for the fourth straight month and was the smallest since March 2022, when spot rates entered a severe deflationary period,” Adamo said. “When the gap between spot and long-term contract rates is trending lower, it’s a signal that capacity is tightening and negotiating power is shifting toward truckload carriers.”

About the DAT 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 truckload pricing database and analysis tool with rates paid on an average of 3 million monthly loads.

DAT benchmark spot rates are derived from invoice data for hauls of 250 miles or more with a pickup date during the month reported. Linehaul rates subtract an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge.

About DAT Freight & Analytics

DAT Freight & Analytics operates both the largest truckload freight marketplace and truckload freight data analytics service in North America. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations, and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights based on more than 400 million annual freight matches, and a database of $150 billion in annual 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. DAT is headquartered in Beaverton, Ore. Visit dat.com for more information

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