Market Conditions 5/28/2017-6/3/2017

This week's market held onto the pre-Memorial Day increase of load to truck demand. Load availability increased 1.2% and truck availability decreased by 3%. Load to truck ratios for flatbed freight spiked again with more than 50 loads available for each truck posted. Reefer and van ratios are also elevated with rates continuing to respond to the increased demand. When taking all averages, reefer rates increased by 1%, van rates increased by 0.5%, and flatbed rates increased by 1.2%. Taking an average of rate points from various metrics, we have found the national average rates to be the following: Reefer: $2.09/mi, Van: $1.78/mi, Flatbed: $2.17/mi.

With the Memorial Day holiday, densities for flatbed, reefer and van freight continued to rise. Volumes at the Mexican border hubs continue to remain elevated for van and reefer freight. Production and shipping remains elevated for flatbed and van freight especially in the South, Southeast, and Midwest.

Refrigerated Freight

Volumes in the reefer market increased this week with produce shipments continuing to rise in the southern states. There were virtually no trucks available on the spot market at the Texas border crossing again this week. The heaviest volumes in the Southeast have transitioned to northern Florida and Southern Georgia. Florida continues to ship mixed vegetables, corn, and melons. California's produce season is also in full swing with rates continuing to increase on all outbound lanes. The market regions with the highest load to truck densities are in California, Arizona the Heartland, Texas, Midwest, Gulf Coast states, and the Southeast. With increased inbound reefer freight to the Northeast and upper Midwest, outbound rates continue to take a hit, keeping the balance of rates on a national average.

Monday:

Friday:

-DAT Power Load to Truck Reefer Densities 6/3/17

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 6/3/17

Dry Freight

On a national average, load availability increased by 2% and truck postings decreased by 1%. Similar to the reefer market, the van market had the highest load to truck densities in California, Arizona the Heartland, Texas, Midwest, Gulf Coast states, and the Southeast. These areas of higher densities also offer the highest outbound rates.

Monday:

Friday:

-DAT Power Load to Truck Van Densities 6/3/17

Flatbed Densities

Monday:

Friday:

-DAT Power Load to Truck Flatbed Densities 6/3/17

Diesel Pricing

Diesel prices dropped one half of a cent this week, bringing the national average price to $2.571 per gallon. This marks an 18.9 cent increase from the same week last year.