Trucks, trailers, tonnage: What transport data says about the state of the industry

Flatbed linehaul rates remained mostly flat the last week of May, DAT reported.

Economic forces, consumer demand, seasonality, natural disasters and myriad other factors contribute to transport’s cyclical market.

Load-to-truck ratios

Load-to-truck ratios sprang upward for the week beginning May 12, compared to the previous seven-day period. DAT reported:

Load-to-truck ratios were mixed across equipment types for the week beginning May 26, compared to the previous seven-day period. DAT reported:

Dry van increased from 4.6 to 5.2 loads per truck

Reefer decreased from 6.4 to 6.3 loads per truck

Flatbed increased from 17.6 to 19.3 loads per truck

“Dry van load post volume was within 3% of last year following last week’s short shipping week following Memorial Day,” DAT noted in a blog post, adding that carrier equipment posts were 24% lower during the week than the same period last year.

Spot linehaul rates

DAT’s linehaul rates measure the seven-day weekly moving average for spot rates in dry van, reefer and flatbed hauls. They often reflect the balance of supply and demand in the spot market. The rates are derived from DAT’s RateView database and do not include a fuel surcharge.

National benchmark average rates varied across multiple equipment types the week beginning May 26, compared to the previous week, per DAT:

Dry van increased by 1 cent to $1.66

Reefer decreased by 1 cent to $1.97

Flatbed essentially remained flat at $2.07

“Flatbed linehaul rates have remained mostly flat for the last three weeks,” DAT wrote in another blog post. Flatbed spot rates stayed above $2 per mile since breaking that threshold in May, a national average weekly rate last seen in July 2023.