Total load activity jumped 51.7% following a holiday-shortened week. Total volume was down about 28% compared to the same 2023 week and was around 37% below the five-year average. Truck postings increased 7%, and the total Market Demand Index – the ratio of loads to trucks – rose its highest level since the week of the International Roadcheck inspection event in May.
The total broker-posted rate decreased 7.4 cents after rising nearly 10 cents during the previous week. Rates were nearly 11% below the same 2023 week and about 6% below the five-year average. Spot rates always fall during the first week of the year as capacity starts to normalize past the holidays, but the decrease was the smallest since the first week of 2018, which was just a couple of weeks after the electronic logging device mandate took effect.
Dry van spot rates eased just over 1 cent after rising more than 9 cents in the previous week. Rates were more than 10% below the same 2023 week and about 9% below the five-year average. Dry van loads jumped 42.6% after falling nearly 24% in the previous week. Volume was 38% below the same 2023 week and about 40% below the five-year average for the week.
Refrigerated spot rates fell just over 10 cents after surging 40 cents during the prior week. Rates were about 11% below the same 2023 week and around 6% below the five-year average for the week. Refrigerated loads increased only 3.5%, but they had risen during the prior two weeks unlike dry van and flatbed loads. Volume was nearly 36% below the same 2023 week and about 38% below the five-year average for the week.
Flatbed spot rates increased about 1 cent after falling close to 6 cents during the previous week. Rates were nearly 11% below the same 2023 week and about 3% below the five-year average. Flatbed loads surged 105.5% after falling more than 39% during the prior week. Volume was about 16% below the same 2023 week and around 43% below the five-year average for the week.