DAT: September ‘firmly into a new truckload freight cycle’
The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI) declined seasonally for van, refrigerated (“reefer”), and flatbed freight last month:
-
Van TVI: 271, down
7% month over month -
Reefer TVI: 208, down
7% -
Flatbed TVI: 272, down
2%
However, the TVI was higher for all three equipment types year over year. The van TVI was up
“September showed we’re firmly into a new freight cycle after nearly 22 months of rather extreme expansion and 27 months of contraction,” said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics. “We expect seasonality to provide some tailwinds over the next few months, and hopefully modest improvements in rates coupled with retail freight volumes and stable fuel prices can get the motor carrier base on more solid footing.”
Linehaul rates were unchanged compared to August
National average spot truckload rates declined by
Linehaul rates were unchanged at
National average rates for freight moving under long-term contracts fell modestly:
-
Contract van rate:
per mile, down$2.39 1 cent -
Contract reefer rate:
a mile, down$2.73 2 cents -
Contract flatbed rate:
a mile, down$3.04 3 cents
Van and reefer load-to-truck ratios declined
The national average van load-to-truck ratio was 3.5, down from 3.6 in August, while the reefer ratio dropped from 6.0 to 5.0. The flatbed ratio was 12.8, up from 9.8. Load-to-truck ratios reflect truckload supply and demand on the DAT One marketplace and indicate the pricing environment for spot truckload freight.
“Entering Q4, we’re seeing equilibrium with truckload supply and demand, especially in the spot market,” Adamo said. “The shape and feel of this new cycle will probably be more like the 2013 to 2017 cycle than the rollercoaster ride of 2018 to 2022, with the ELD mandate, manufacturing recession, and unpredictable supply shocks of the COVID pandemic.”
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 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. Linehaul rates subtract an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge.
About DAT Freight & Analytics
DAT Freight & Analytics operates the largest truckload freight marketplace and truckload freight data analytics service in
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
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241015297952/en/
DAT Contact
Georgia Jablon
PR@dat.com / annabel.reeves@dat.com; 503-501-0143
Source: DAT Freight & Analytics