Spot Rates on Freight Break Record at Close of ’21

In the final week of 2021, spot truckload freight volume increased nearly 26 percent, and the number of available trucks fell 26 percent compared to the previous week, according to DAT Freight & Analytics.

Truckload spot van freight hit an all-time high at $3.16 per mile as a weekly average, up 12 cents compared to the previous week. The average spot reefer rate jumped 10 cents to $3.66 per mile, also a record high seven-day average, while the average flatbed rate was unchanged at $3.13 per mile.

It’s not unusual for demand for truckload capacity to swing significantly during the final week of December, when shippers are feeling urgency to move freight before the end of the year, more carriers take time off for the holidays, and traffic and weather can be unpredictable, DAT officials said.

Source: Heavy Duty Trucking