Truckload freight volumes decreased during July 2023 while national benchmark spot rates retreated from their June gains for dry van and refrigerated loads.

In a recent report from DAT Freight & Analytics, entitled “DAT Truckload Volume Index,” the truckload volume index (TVI) for vans fell by 7.0% from June to 226, and refrigerated TVI decreased by 3.4% to 169, while flatbed TVI shrank by 12.8% to 238.

The report also found that the demand for flatbed trucks has slowed after the national average load-to-truck ratios for flatbeds dropped from an index score of 9.7 in June to 7.1 in July.

Spot and contract rates also tumbled in July after spot van rates, spot refrigerated rates and spot flatbed rates all fell by at least one cent from June. Line-haul rates, which account for fuel surcharges, also experienced a two-cent dip. Average fuel surcharges increased by two cents in July.

“Shippers faced service disruptions at the ports and in the less-than-truckload sector but were able to secure van capacity without causing the needle to move on spot rates and volumes,” said Ken Adamo, the chief of Analytics for DAT, a U.S.-based freight exchange and transportation information company.

The DAT Truckload Volume Index represents the change in the number of loads with a pickup date scheduled for a certain month. A baseline score of 100 equates to the number of loads moved during January 2015.