DAT

At the mid-point of 2024, for the week of June 23 through June 29, the last week before the end of the second quarter and in advance of the July 4 holiday, a tightening of spot truckload capacity translated into an 8.4% gain in load posts for the DAT One load board marketplace, according to data provided to LM by DAT Freight & Analytics.  

The van TVI, at 289, up 4% compared to April and up 13% annually, hitting a new all-time high, and the refrigerated TVI, at 224, up 4% compared to April and up 25% annually, also hitting a new all-time high.

The van TVI, at 278, is up 7.3% compared to March; the refrigerated TVI, at 213, is up 5.4% compared to March; and the flatbed TVI, at 304, increased 8.2% compared to March, rising for the fifth consecutive month.

From February to March, the the van TVI, at 260, was up 4%, with the refrigerated TVI, at 200, up 2.6%, and the flatbed TVI, at 242, up 4.4%.

The van TVI, at 245, down 4% compared to January, with the reefer TVI, at 193, down 4% compared to January, and the flatbed TVI, at 242, increased 3% compared to January.

The December edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which was recently issued by DAT Freight & Analytics, highlighted what the company described as the most significant narrowing in the gap between spot and contract van rates, going back to March 2022, a period when truckload prices nearly were at their highest point ever.

The November edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which was recently issued by DAT Freight & Analytics, showed a solid post-Thanksgiving bump in truckload freight volumes compared to previous Novembers.  

DAT reported that the van TVI was up 3.5% compared to September, at 263, and up 9.5% annually, with the reefer TVI up 4.3% compared to September, at 196 and up 9.0% annually, and the flatbed TVI was down 3.2% compared to September, at 245, and up 0.5% annually.

Seasonal trends impacted lower spot market volumes and rates in the September edition of the DAT Truckload Volume Index.

The van TVI was up 8.0% compared to July, at 241, and down 8.0% annually; the reefer TVI was up 4% compared to July, at 175 and down 5% annually; and the flatbed TVI was up 9% compared to July, at 259, and down 0.4% annually;

A change is coming at the top for San Francisco-based freight forwarding and customs brokerage services provider Flexport, with CEO Dave Clark stating yesterday that he is stepping down from his role. Clark joined the company in September 2022 as Co-CEO with Flexport Founder Ryan Petersen, following a nearly 23-year career at Amazon, in various operations, logistics and fulfillment roles. Ryan Petersen will resume his previous duties as CEO, following Clark’s departure.

The van TVI was down 7.0% compared to June, to 226, and down 3.0% annually, the flatbed TVI decreased 12.8% compared to June, to 238, and was up 3.5% annually, and the reefer TVI was down 3.4% compared to June, to 169 and up 1.2% annually (DAT said that even with each TVI reading declining, the reefer and TVI numbers marked the highest on record for July.

The Van TVI was down 1% compared to May, to 230, and down 10% annually, and the reefer TVI was down 3% compared to May, to 167 and down 4.6% annually. The flatbed TVI increased 2% over May, to 267, down 1.2% annually.

DAT officials explained that despite higher freight volumes, March’s low rates ended what it called a challenging quarter experienced by the majority of truckload carriers and freight brokers, with the exception of flatbed freight, as spot market pricing and demand have been steady year-to-date.

June’s TVI dry van freight reading—at 240—was up 6% compared to May, with the refrigerated TVI—at 173—down 0.6%, and the flatbed TVI up 5%, to 245. DAT said that changes in the TVI represent the number of loads moved with a pickup date during the month.