Latest Spot Market Results Show Sharp Rate Declines

Spot Market Rates Fall After Holiday Surge

The Spot Market cooled sharply during the week ending July 10, with broker-posted rates falling across all major equipment types after reaching unusually high levels during the week leading up to the Independence Day holiday.

Dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed spot rates all declined as freight demand returned to more typical seasonal patterns. While the week-over-week drops were significant, rates remained substantially higher than they were during the same week in 2025.

Spot Market Load Volume Rebounds

Total Spot Market load activity recovered after the holiday slowdown.

Broker-posted spot loads increased 24.7% week over week to 177.1, rebounding after falling nearly 27% during the week that included the federally observed Independence Day holiday on July 3.

Compared to the same week last year, total spot load volume was 20.5% higher, although this represented the softest year-over-year comparison seen in the past 14 weeks.

Meanwhile, truck postings declined 2.6%, pushing the Market Demand Index to its highest level in four weeks.

Spot Market Rates Post One of the Largest Weekly Declines

The average broker-posted Spot Market rate fell to $3.51 per mile, down just under 14 cents from the previous week.

According to Truckstop.com, this marked the largest one-week decline since early 2021 and the fourth-largest weekly drop on record.

Even with the decline, overall rates remained well above last year’s levels. All-in spot rates were 47% higher than during the same week in 2025, while fuel-adjusted rates increased 54% year over year.

Truckstop.com noted that carriers operating in the spot market generally do not receive separate fuel surcharges, but the fuel-adjusted calculation provides a comparison of rates after accounting for higher fuel costs.

All three major equipment types continued to post rates that were 40% to 50% higher than one year ago, although seasonal trends suggest rates may continue easing during the current week.

Dry Van Rates Retreat From Record High

Dry van spot rates fell to $2.97 per mile, decreasing just under 14 cents after reaching an all-time high the previous week.

Despite the weekly decline, dry van rates remained 48% higher than the same week in 2025. Fuel-adjusted rates were nearly 57% higher year over year.

The largest regional rate declines occurred in the Southeast and Midwest, while rates changed very little in the Mountain Central region.

Dry van load volume increased 19.1%, nearly offsetting the decline recorded during the holiday week. Total dry van loads were 17.5% higher than the same week last year, with freight volumes rising sharply across most regions.

Refrigerated Spot Market Rates See Largest Weekly Drop

Refrigerated van spot rates experienced the steepest week-over-week decline among van equipment.

Rates dropped just over 26 cents to $3.45 per mile after gaining nearly 25 cents during the previous week.

Even after the decline, refrigerated rates remained 42% higher than the same week in 2025, while fuel-adjusted rates were up nearly 48%.

Load activity recovered 10.1% from the holiday week, although total refrigerated loads were still just over 2% lower than the same week last year.

Regional data showed the Southeast experienced both a significant decline in rates and a sharp drop in refrigerated freight volume.

Flatbed Rates Record One of the Biggest Declines Ever

Flatbed spot rates fell 14.6 cents to $3.67 per mile, marking the second-largest weekly decline on record. The only larger drop occurred during the economic shutdowns of April 2020.

Despite the sharp weekly decrease, flatbed rates remained 49% higher than one year earlier, while fuel-adjusted rates were up slightly more than 56%.

Flatbed rates increased modestly in the Mountain Central region but declined sharply across most other parts of the country.

Freight volume rebounded strongly, with flatbed loads rising 30.9% after dropping more than 33% during the holiday week. Compared to the same week in 2025, flatbed load volume was 29.5% higher, although that represented the softest year-over-year comparison in 14 weeks.

What to Watch Next 

The latest Spot Market report suggests that last week’s declines largely reflected a return to normal seasonal conditions following the unusually strong holiday shipping period.

Even with the recent pullback, broker-posted spot rates across all major equipment types remain well above year-ago levels, indicating that pricing continues to outperform 2025 despite normal seasonal fluctuations.