Spot Market Freight Volumes Grow in the Latest Week

Spot Market Sees Higher Load Volumes as Dry Van, Reefer Rates Rise

The Spot Market showed stronger freight activity during the latest reporting week, with load volumes increasing after the previous week’s decline. Dry van and refrigerated freight both posted higher rates and stronger demand, while flatbed freight remained relatively steady despite a slight drop in volume.

Overall, market activity suggests freight demand improved, even as total broker-posted rates edged lower for a second consecutive week.

Spot Market Load Activity Rebounds

Total load activity in the Spot Market increased 4.1% week over week after falling nearly 8% during the previous reporting period.

Compared to the same week in 2025, total load volume was approximately 33% higher, although it represented the softest year-over-year comparison seen in the past 12 weeks.

Truck postings declined 5.5% during the week, allowing the Market Demand Index (MDI), which measures the ratio of available loads to available trucks, to improve. Even with the increase, the MDI remained below the levels recorded during the previous five weeks.

Overall Spot Market Rates Slip Slightly

The overall broker-posted rate declined by just over one cent per mile, marking the second straight weekly decrease. It is the first time rates have fallen in back-to-back weeks since the beginning of the year.

However, falling diesel prices changed the picture when fuel costs were removed from the calculation. Rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge actually increased by 1.6 cents per mile.

Although many carriers operating in the Spot Market do not receive fuel surcharges, this adjusted calculation provides a useful estimate of the portion of the freight rate needed to cover fuel expenses.

Compared to the same week last year, all-in broker-posted rates remained nearly 50% higher, while fuel-adjusted rates were more than 54% higher.

Dry Van Freight Posts Strong Gains

Dry van freight recorded one of the strongest performances of the week.

Spot rates increased 5.3 cents per mile, while fuel-adjusted rates climbed 8 cents. Compared to the same week in 2025, all-in dry van rates were about 52% higher, and adjusted rates were nearly 59% higher.

Regional performance also improved. Every region posted higher dry van rates, with the largest increases coming from the Southeast and Mountain Central regions.

Dry van load volume rose 10.5% from the previous week and was 33.5% higher than the same period last year. All regions experienced higher load postings, with particularly strong growth in the Midwest and Northeast.

Refrigerated Freight Sees Largest Weekly Increase

Refrigerated freight experienced its first weekly rate increase in five weeks.

Spot rates climbed 8.3 cents per mile, while fuel-adjusted rates increased by 11 cents. Compared to last year, refrigerated rates remained about 41% higher, with adjusted rates up more than 43%.

Regional results varied significantly. The Southeast posted a sharp increase in refrigerated rates, while rates were unchanged in the Northeast and slipped slightly in the Midwest.

Refrigerated load volume jumped 16.9%, marking the largest weekly increase since International Roadcheck week in mid-May.

Despite the weekly improvement, refrigerated load volume remained more than 7% lower than the same week in 2025, representing the first negative year-over-year comparison in eight weeks.

The largest increases in refrigerated load postings came from the Southeast, Midwest, and South Central regions.

Flatbed Market Remains Stable

Flatbed freight showed little change overall during the latest Spot Market report.

Broker-posted flatbed rates declined by just under one cent per mile after a slight decline the previous week. However, rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge increased by 1.8 cents.

Compared to the same week in 2025, all-in flatbed rates remained nearly 52% higher, while adjusted rates were approximately 57% higher.

Most regions recorded modest rate increases. The Southeast was the only region to post a weekly decline in flatbed rates, despite accounting for the largest share of flatbed freight volume.

Flatbed load volume dipped just 0.7% from the previous week. Even with the small decline, volume remained about 45% higher than the same week last year. Regional load activity was mixed, with most of the weakness concentrated in the Southeast.

Freight Demand Shows Improvement Despite Mixed Rates

The latest Spot Market report showed stronger freight demand as overall load activity increased and truck availability declined.

Dry van and refrigerated freight both posted notable weekly gains in rates and load volumes, while flatbed freight remained relatively stable.

Although overall broker-posted rates slipped slightly for a second consecutive week, lower diesel prices helped improve fuel-adjusted rates, indicating that underlying market conditions remained stronger than the headline numbers alone suggest.

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