Spot load volumes increased for the week of September 29 through October 4, according to DAT, as shippers grappled with Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts and the short-lived East and Gulf Coast ports’ strike. Hurricane Milton, minus any strike implications, is expected to cause similar trends.
The number of loads posted to the DAT One network increased by 14.9% to 2.01 million, indicating the highest weekly tally of available loads since the week of July 7-July 13. While loads saw an increase, DAT reported that weekly truck posts declined by 16.3%, to 275,594, with the company crediting it to East Coast freight network slowing dramatically due to bad weather, and to a lesser degree, the ILA strike.
[RELATED: Port strike creates 'opportunities' for spot market carriers]
According to DAT, dry van loads were up 16.5% week-over-week, while equipment fell 21.5%. Reefer loads increased 16.5% week-over-week, with equipment down at 5.6%. Flatbed loads increased 11.5% week-over-week, with equipment down at 7.2%.
Truckstop, FTR
Data from Truckstop.com and FTR Transportation Intelligence for the week ending October 4 showed similar sentiments. Total load activity was up 7.6% after increasing about 5% during the previous week. Load postings were about 8% above the same 2023 week, marking the first positive year-over-year comparison since late July. However, they remained around 24% below the five-year average for this time of the year. The Southeast region saw the largest week-over-week increase in volume, indicating that the impact of Hurricane Helene was a major factor affecting the market. Meanwhile, total truck postings fell 5.2%, pushing the Market Demand Index – the ratio of load postings to truck postings in the system – to its highest level since mid-July.
While the ports’ strike was brief, DAT industry analyst Dean Croke said it still had some impact on spot load volume. “The 20 freight markets adjacent to ports affected by the ILA strike last week saw a 5% reduction in van load posts compared to the previous week," he said. "There was a 7% decrease in spot van loads posted in DAT’s Elizabeth, N.J., market and a 6% decrease in Savannah, Georgia.”
Croke added that while Hurricane Helene’s impact on spot truckload freight was regional, it was considerable and led to tighter capacity. As a result, the weekly average dry van linehaul rate increased by 4 cents to $1.65 a mile. In DAT’s Southeast region, inbound and outbound rates saw an average increase of 10 cents per mile compared to the prior week. In DAT’s Atlanta market, the average linehaul van rate climbed 7 cents to $1.53 per mile, despite a 3% drop in load volume. Meanwhile, the average linehaul reefer rate in Atlanta increased by 10 cents to $2.13 per mile, even with a 7% volume decline.
The aftermath of the storm drove demand for flatbed capacity, Croke said, with flatbed load posts rising 23% compared to the previous year. The weekly flatbed load-to-truck ratio reached its highest level in three years.
The Southeast region saw a 14% week-over-week increase in flatbed load posts, while DAT’s Tallahassee market, where Hurricane Helene made landfall, experienced a 68% surge. Flatbed load posts in Houston and New Orleans also saw an increase of 27% compared to the prior week.
In Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, outbound flatbed load volumes plummeted by 40% week-over-week, but inbound volumes to these states jumped by 44%. The average spot linehaul rate increased by 7%, reaching $2.45 a mile – 30 cents higher than the same week last year.
With Hurricane Milton forecasted to make landfall near Tampa, Florida, Wednesday night as a dangerous Category 4 or 5 storm, Croke said freight activity follows a familiar pattern.
Before the storm, shippers and FEMA scramble to move freight in and out of the projected impact area, leading to sharp spikes in truckload rates. During the storm, freight movement halts as FEMA and other organizations move emergency relief supplies to locations just outside the storm zone, ready for deployment once roads are cleared.
After the storm, fuel and outbound loads may be scarce, travel can be dangerous, and potential changes to hours of service may occur. Inbound rates rise as emergency supplies are brought in. Van and reefer freight lead the way, followed by flatbeds transporting construction equipment and materials.
“Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama is the staging ground for much of the federal government's response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” Croke said. “Nearly 450 truckloads of supplies arrived during the week ahead of Helene, the bulk of which came from FEMA’s Atlanta distribution center. FEMA loads typically move under contract with approved carriers.”
