--- title: Spot Market Insights from FTR & Truckstop.com - week of July 21, 2025 description: Spot rates for dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed equipment fell as expected in mid-July, with total load activity declining compared to prior years. --- [![FTR_Logo_Primary_DarkBackground-4](https://freight.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FTR_Logo_Primary_DarkBackground-4.png?width=400&height=111&name=FTR_Logo_Primary_DarkBackground-4.png "FTR_Logo_Primary_DarkBackground-4")](https://www.ftrintel.com) [![FTR-SpotMarketInsights_2022_website_header-1](https://freight.ftrintel.com/hubfs/FTR-SpotMarketInsights_2022_website_header-1.jpg "FTR-SpotMarketInsights_2022_website_header-1")](https://freight.ftrintel.com/spotmarketinsights) July 21, 2025 **Spot rates fall as seasonally expected**** ** Broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop.com system fell for all equipment types during the week ended July 18 (week 28) as is typical for mid-July. After two weeks of declines, dry van spot rates have essentially erased the spike that occurred during the week that included the Independence Day holiday. Refrigerated spot rates fell further after more than offsetting the July 4th week gain during the previous week. Flatbed spot rates decreased to their lowest level since early March.   ![Total loads_072125](https://freight.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SMI%20-%20Spot%20market/2025/07.21.2025/Total%20loads_072125.png?width=474&height=271&name=Total%20loads_072125.png)   Total load activity decreased 7.6% after rebounding by about 41% during the week following the holiday week. Total volume was about 7% higher than the same 2024 week but 18% below the five-year average. Total truck postings increased 3.6%, and the Market Demand Index – the ratio of load postings to truck postings in the system – declined after hitting its highest level in eight weeks during the previous week.       ![Total rates_072125](https://freight.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SMI%20-%20Spot%20market/2025/07.21.2025/Total%20rates_072125.png?width=474&height=271&name=Total%20rates_072125.png)   The total market broker-posted spot rate fell about 4 cents to its lowest level since March. Total rates were 0.4% below the same 2024 week and nearly 10% below the five-year average. Rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge – an adjustment that isolates the portion of all-in rates not needed to recoup fuel costs – were nearly flat y/y at up 0.4%. In a rare situation, all three principal equipment types saw basically the same decrease in rates week over week .         ![Dry van rates_072125](https://freight.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SMI%20-%20Spot%20market/2025/07.21.2025/Dry%20van%20rates_072125.png?width=474&height=271&name=Dry%20van%20rates_072125.png)   Dry van spot rates decreased by more than 4 cents after dropping by more than 17 cents during the previous week. Rates were 2.6% below the same 2024 week and nearly 13% below the five-year average. Rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge were down a little more than 2% y/y. Dry van loads declined 8.4%. Volume was about 6% below the same week last year and nearly 27% below the five-year average.         ![Refrigerated rates_072125](https://freight.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SMI%20-%20Spot%20market/2025/07.21.2025/Refrigerated%20rates_072125.png?width=474&height=271&name=Refrigerated%20rates_072125.png)   Refrigerated spot rates declined by 4 cents after plunging close to 24 cents in the week after the holiday week. Rates were about 1% below the same week last year and about 8% below the five-year average for the week. Rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge were down 0.5% y/y. Refrigerated loads decreased 13.5%. Load volume was nearly 17% below the same week last year and about 30% below the five-year average.          ![Flatbed rates_072125](https://freight.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SMI%20-%20Spot%20market/2025/07.21.2025/Flatbed%20rates_072125.png?width=474&height=271&name=Flatbed%20rates_072125.png)   Flatbed spot rates were down about 4 cents after dropping 6.5 cents in the previous week. Rates were 0.4% below the same 2024 week – only the second negative comparison in 19 weeks – and about 10% below the five-year average. Rates excluding a calculated fuel surcharge were up about 0.4% versus the same 2024 week. Flatbed loads declined 5.4%. Load volume was almost 21% above the same 2024 week but about 14% below the five-year average.     [ Want to see a 4-week recap of the SMI? Click here! ](https://freight.ftrintel.com/spotmarketinsights) --- ##### Leveraging robust Truckstop data with the expert analysis of FTR Transportation Intelligence, Truckstop and FTR partner to bring you timely and relevant transportation market forecasts and analyses to help you run your business. ### About FTR From freight demand to system capacity to equipment production, our clients benefit from the industries most reliable forecasts, quantitative market intelligence, key trends, and comprehensive analysis on North American freight transportation. Transportation professionals apply this information to their internal planning, forecasting, and market analysis. Our clients come from the shipping, trucking, rail, intermodal, equipment, and financial communities.  [Learn More](https://www.ftrintel.com) ### Links ### Contact Us ** 888-988-1699 ** [ftr@ftrintel.com](mailto:ftr@ftrintel.com) ** 1720 N Kinser Pike, Suite 210 Bloomington, IN 47404 Copyright 2026 — FTR | Transportation Intelligence [**](https://freight.ftrintel.com/spotmarketinsights/2025-07-21#)