Load posts increase as July 4 freight volumes grow

Freight data shows improvement leading up to July 4.

Posted loads on DAT One surged 6% to 2.26 million last week, signaling growing freight volumes ahead of the upcoming holiday.

“The average linehaul rate on DAT’s Top 50 van lanes, based on load volume, reached $2.02 per mile—2 cents higher than the prior week and 33 cents more than the national average,” said Dean Croke, DAT iQ industry analyst. “In Midwest states, which account for almost 45% of the nation’s load volume and typically reflect national trends, the average outbound spot rate was $1.90 per mile. That’s up 1 cent, surpassing the national average by 21 cents.”

Truck posts also climbed 14% to 260,189, leaving load-posting volumes nearly identical to Week 23 in both 2023 and 2024.

Broker-to-Carrier National Average Rates:

Van: $2.07/mile (unchanged from the previous week)
Reefer: $2.35/mile (unchanged)
Flatbed: $2.56/mile (down 1 cent)

Dry Vans:

Van loads increased by 3% to 988,846.
Van equipment availability rose 15% to 181,039.
Linehaul rate remained steady at $1.69 (net fuel).
Loads per truck dropped to 5.5 from 6.1 (4-week average LTR at 6.2).

Reefers:

Reefer loads declined 4% to 420,875.
Reefer equipment availability grew 1% to 46,266.
Linehaul rate held at $1.97 (net fuel).
Loads per truck fell to 9.1 from 9.5 (4-week average LTR at 11.0).

“Reefer spot linehaul rates stayed at $1.97 per mile after dropping over the past two weeks, reflecting this year’s tempered produce season,” added Croke. “This rate matches last year’s but falls 12 cents short of the rate in Week 23, 2023. Typically, the four weeks leading up to the July 4 holiday see a surge in produce shipments, but this year starts 19% behind last year. California truckload volumes are down almost 30% compared to the previous year.”

Flatbeds:

Flatbed loads spiked 15% to 852,144.
Flatbed equipment rose significantly by 29% to 32,884.
Linehaul rate dipped 1 cent to $2.18 (net fuel).
Loads per truck were reduced from 32.7 to 29.9 (4-week average LTR at 31.9).

“Posts from most high-volume reefer markets retreated from the previous week’s gains, with Phoenix down 18% week over week, Atlanta down 15%, Fresno down 7%, and Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth all down nearly 5%,” Croke said.