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Spot Reefer Rates Hit 4-Month High as Vans, Flatbeds Slip

Graphic: DAT

The national average spot rate for refrigerated truckload freight gained 2 cents for the week ending May 13 for $1.99 per mile, the highest weekly average rate in four months, according to new figures released by DAT Solutions and based on its network of load boards.

The national average van rate was down 2 cents at $1.68 per mile, while the average flatbed rate fell 1 cent to $2.08 per mile. All rates include fuel surcharges.

Overall, the number of load posts edged down 2% last week while truck posts were up 2%. That led to lower or flat load-to-truck ratios with vans remaining and 3.3 to 1 while reefers fell 6% after a nice uptick the previous week, hitting 6.1 to 1. Flatbeds declined 6% to 36.9 to 1.

Nationally, the number of available refrigerated loads declined 1% while truck posts increased 5%. On the top 72 lanes for spot reefer freight, 51 lanes had higher rates last week despite uneven production out of Florida, shipping gaps in California, and a drop in volumes in markets near the Mexican border.

According to DAT, some key reefer lanes to watch are:

Miami outbound faded but high demand from Lakeland buoyed rates in Florida. Lakeland-Baltimore surged 40 cents to $2.68 per mile on average. Two reefer markets to watch in California are Fresno, where the average outbound rate jumped 12 cents to $2.14 per mile, and Los Angeles, also up 12 cents, at $2.57 per mile.

Nationally, the number of posted van loads and trucks each increased 1%. No major van markets made big moves, but outbound rates in Houston, $1.76 mile; ...Read the rest of this story

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