CCJ‘s Indicators rounds up the latest reports on trucking business indicators on rates, freight, equipment, the economy and more.
Van freight surged in the month, climbing 10 percent from November and 5.2 percent from last December. The load-to-truck ratio for the segment also shot up, DAT notes, to 3.8 loads per truck — an imbalance that should put upward pressure on rates, DAT says.
Reefer freight volume hit its highest mark in nearly two years. The load-to-truck ratio in the segment grew to 8.2 percent in the month. Reefer volume was up 55 percent from the same month in 2015.
Flatbed demand dipped 2.3 percent month to month and 48 percent from December 2015.
2016’s strong second half wasn’t able to make up for first-half freight losses, however. DAT says spot market freight volume in 2016 was down 7.7 percent from 2015.