Market Conditions 5/8/2016-5/14/2016

This week's market presented us with an overall decrease in available loads. Collectively, spot market loads decreased 3% with a 2% increase in truck availability. When taking all averages, reefer rates decreased by 1.5%, van rates decreased by 1%, and flatbed rates remained flat compared to last week's rates. Taking an average of rate points from various metrics, we have found the national average rates to be the following: Reefer: $1.85/mi, Van: $1.57/mi, Flatbed: $1.92/mi.

Load densities on a national average dropped this week for vans and reefers while flatbed freight held relatively flat. This was mainly due to the end of the Mother's Day push last weekend. We anticipate the Mexican border hubs to continue shipping higher freight volumes. Production and shipping continues to be on the rise for all three equipment types especially in the South, Southeast, and Midwest.

Refrigerated Freight

The following states continue to have higher truckload volumes this week: California, the border crossings in Arizona, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Florida volumes loosened up significantly this week and Georgia volumes took a break as well. We predict that the high volume will continue next week with melons, mixed vegetables, corn, and blueberries being harvested. The Heartland, South, and Midwest regions of the U.S. have elevated but still manageable freight volumes. Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Idaho are loose, shipping potatoes, onions and various meats. Arkansas, southern Missouri, and southern Illinois are shipping chicken. Blues have started shipping in North Carolina. Produce will continue to progress further north in the next few weeks as we get closer to the summer months.

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-DAT Power Load to Truck Reefer Densities 5/14/16

The rates below are average direct from customer rates. The bold line is the origin, left column is the destination. The following two columns are weekly ranges from the previous week. The next two columns are this week's ranges and the final column on the right is the percent changes from last week to this week.

-United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Market News https://www.marketnews.usda.gov 5/14/16

Dry Freight

Load availability decreased 5% on a national average this week while truck availability increased 4%. Spot rates have fluctuated where there are higher and lower extremes depending on density of the region. Regions of higher freight densities include Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Florida. Florida and Georgia are shipping melons and onions on vented vans in order to ship the required orders.

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-DAT Power Load to Truck Van Densities 5/14/16

Flatbed Densities

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-DAT Power Load to Truck Flatbed Densities 5/14/16

Diesel Pricing

Diesel prices increased 0.5 cents this week, bringing the national average price to $2.271 per gallon. This marks a $0.607 drop from the same week last year.