The average reefer rate was down a penny (-0.4 percent) to $2.26 per mile and the flatbed rate dropped 3 cents (-1.3 percent) to $2.35 per mile compared to the previous week.

Regionally, the average outbound van rate from Los Angeles increased 6 cents to $2.37 per mile due to continued port congestion and difficulty accessing rail services. Average van rates remain strong from Dallas ($1.82 per mile, down 1 cent), Columbus, Ohio ($2.26 per mile, up 5 cents), and Atlanta ($2.03 per mile, up 3 cents). In the Northeast, the average rate from Buffalo jumped 8 cents to $2.11 per mile.

Overall demand for van, refrigerated, and flatbed loads on DAT load boards slipped 1.2 percent and available capacity fell 4.4 percent.

The number of available van loads declined 1.9 percent while capacity was off 0.9 percent. The van load-to-truck ratio held steady at 2.6, meaning there were 2.6 van loads posted for every van available on DAT load boards last week.

Reefer freight availability was down 0.4 percent and capacity decreased 2.2 percent, which pushed the reefer load-to-truck ratio up 1.8 percent to 7.8 loads per truck. The number of flatbed loads declined 8.8 percent and available capacity slipped 2.0 percent, for a 6.9 percent slide in the load-to-truck ratio. The flatbed load-to-truck ratio stands at 17.9 loads per truck.

The national average fuel price fell 2 cents to $3.62 per gallon. Declining fuel prices tend to have a dampening effect on market rates. When fuel prices slip, the surcharge drops and the total rate may decline accordingly.

Load-to-truck ratios represent the number of loads posted for every truck available on DAT load boards. The load-to-truck ratio is a sensitive, real-time indicator of the balance between spot market demand and capacity. Changes in the ratio often signal impending changes in rates.

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