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Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Apr 16 – 22 vs.
Apr 9 – 15
Mar 2017 vs.
Feb 2017
Mar 2017 vs.
Mar 2016
Spot Market Loads+10%+46%+92%
Spot Market Capacity1.5%+12%+1.7%
Van Load-To-Truck+11%+30%+98%
Van Rates (Spot)+0.0%+0.6%+7.2%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck+20%+38%+109%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)+0.0%+3.6%+9.1%
Reefer Load-To-Truck+2.4%+31%+99%
Reefer Rates (Spot)+0.0%+0.5%+5.1%
Fuel Prices+0.6%0.6%+22%
National Average Rates Hold Firm

Ratios Rise for Each Trailer Type

Apr 16 – 22 – The national averages for vanreefer, and flatbed rates continued to hold steady, while prices in many major freight markets continued their slow-and-steady springtime climb. Demand for flatbeds was especially high last week, as the load-to-truck ratio hit 47.8 loads posted for every truck posted.

The chart above depicts national average spot market rates for the past four weeks, including fuel surcharges. Weekly rate snapshots reflect averages for the month to-date, from DAT RateView.

Last update: 4/25/2017 – Next update: 5/2/2017

Fuel Prices
+0.0%$2.60 / gallon
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DAT News & Blogs

1. ELD Mandate

Of course, Electronic Logging Devices are what’s on most people’s minds. Come Dec. 18, every carrier will be required to have ELDs in their trucks, which the driver will use for their hours-of-service (HOS) logs. Some drivers think it’s an overreach by Big Brother, while other owner-operators see it as an added expense and obstacle that could put them out of business. Most hope that the Trump administration will do away with it.

So far, we haven’t seen anything to suggest that it’s going anywhere. President Trump’s executive order to freeze new regulations applied to proposed rules like speed limiters, but the ELD mandate is already law. Most of the big carriers have been using ELDs for years – organizations like the ATA support the ELD mandate – so it’s small carriers and owner-operators who will be most affected by the law.

Back in Novemeber, Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA, pointed out to Overdrive Magazine that the political climate hasn’t changed so much since the ELD mandate was first introduced.

“We’ve had Republican control of both the Senate and the House for quite a while,” he explained.  “Unfortunately, the ELD rule was pushed through by Republicans in Congress, even some Tea Party Republicans.”

That said, OOIDA recently filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court to try to stop the rule.

2. Carrier Safety Fitness Determination

The FMCSA announced that they’re postponing the new rules that would measure a carrier’s Safety Fitness Determination. Most carrier associations opposed the SFD because the guidelines were based on safety data they considered to be flawed.

3. New Food Safety Rules

New standards for transporting food went into effect in April. For now, the new rules only apply to large companies, and everyone else has until April 2018 to comply. You can click here to see if your company is exempt.

4. HOS: 34-Hour Restart

The 2013 version of the 34-hour restart rule required that drivers be off duty for two periods from 1:00 to 5:00 AM in order to reset their hours of service. You could also only use the restart once per week. A recent study of the rules determined that they weren’t any safer, so those are now gone for good.

5. Final Stage of MC Numbers Rule Suspended

The Unified Registration System will eliminate docket numbers (MC numbers) for carriers and brokers (FF numbers, etc), identifying them solely by their DOT number. While NEW carriers and brokers are now required to use the URS, the final phase will apply to EXISTING carriers and brokers. That final stage is on hold for now.

DAT News & Blogs

DAT Trendlines

Trucking Industry USA

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Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Apr 9 – 15 vs.
Apr 2 – 8
Mar 2017 vs.
Feb 2017
Mar 2017 vs.
Mar 2016
Spot Market Loads2.4%+46%+92%
Spot Market Capacity0.5%+12%+1.7%
Van Load-To-Truck6.4%+30%+98%
Van Rates (Spot)0.6%+0.6%+7.2%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck+1.5%+38%+109%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)+0.0%+3.6%+9.1%
Reefer Load-To-Truck4.1%+31%+99%
Reefer Rates (Spot)+0.5%+0.5%+5.1%
Fuel Prices+1.0%0.6%+22%
Demand Slows Just Before Easter

Vans Rates Dip 1¢, Reefer Rates Gain 1¢

Apr 9 – 15 – Spot market volumes usually fall in the week before Easter, with many shippers closing down early on Good Friday and truck drivers trying to get home for the holiday weekend. Some drivers may have settled on lower rates to get home, and the national average van rate dipped 1¢. Flatbed rates held steady, while agricultural markets pushed reefer rates up 1¢.

The chart above depicts national average spot market rates for the past four weeks, including fuel surcharges. Weekly rate snapshots reflect averages for the month to-date, from DAT RateView.

Last update: 4/19/2017 – Next update: 4/26/2017

Fuel Prices
+0.8%$2.60 / gallon
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DAT News & Blogs

DAT Trendlines

Trucking Industry

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powered by DAT RateView

Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Apr 2 – 8 vs.
Mar 26 – Apr 1
Mar 2017 vs.
Feb 2017
Mar 2017 vs.
Mar 2016
Spot Market Loads1.7%+46%+92%
Spot Market Capacity+1.5%+12%+1.7%
Van Load-To-Truck8.0%+30%+98%
Van Rates (Spot)+3.7%+0.6%+7.2%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck3.6%+38%+109%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)+2.0%+3.6%+9.1%
Reefer Load-To-Truck+1.3%+31%+99%
Reefer Rates (Spot)+3.2%+0.5%+5.1%
Fuel Prices+0.9%0.6%+22%
Spring Brings Higher Spot Market Rates

Vans, Reefers, Flats See Increases

Apr 2 – 8 – Although freight volumes dipped last week compared to the previous week’s end-of-quarter surge, rates continued to climb. Spring produce is on the move, resulting in an increase in reefer rates, and high load-to-truck ratios boosted flatbed rates.

The chart above depicts national average spot market rates for the past four weeks, including fuel surcharges. Weekly rate snapshots reflect averages for the month to-date, from DAT RateView.

Last update: 4/12/2017 – Next update: 4/19/2017

Fuel Prices
+0.8%$2.58 / gallon
Trucking Success partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at http://www.truckersedge.net/promo123 or entering “promo123” during sign up.

DAT News & Blogs

DAT Trendlines

Trucking World

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powered by DAT RateView

Industry Trends - Spot Market Industry Trends - Van Industry Trends - Flatbed Industry Trends - Reefer Industry Trends - Fuel Prices
Industry TrendsWEEKMONTHYEAR
Mar 26 – Apr 1 vs.
Mar 19 – 25
Mar 2017 vs.
Feb 2017
Mar 2017 vs.
Mar 2016
Spot Market Loads+7.1%+46%+92%
Spot Market Capacity4.9%+12%+1.7%
Van Load-To-Truck+16%+30%+98%
Van Rates (Spot)+0.0%+0.6%+7.2%
Flatbed Load-To-Truck+14%+38%+109%
Flatbed Rates (Spot)+0.5%+3.6%+9.1%
Reefer Load-To-Truck+6.9%+31%+99%
Reefer Rates (Spot)+0.5%+0.5%+5.1%
Fuel Prices0.3%0.6%+22%
End of Q1 Boosts Spot Market Demand

Still No Spring Surge in Rates

Mar 26 – Apr 1 – The end of Q1 led to a flurry of activity on DAT Load Boards last Friday. That pushed rates up in markets that had otherwise been pretty quiet this spring. The normal seasonality has been a bit muted so far this year, yet load-to-truck ratios increased for all three truck types last week. National average van rates were unchanged compared to the previous week, but both reefer rates and flatbed rates gained 1¢ per mile.

The chart above depicts national average spot market rates for the past four weeks, including fuel surcharges. Weekly rate snapshots reflect averages for the month to-date, from DAT RateView.

Last update: 4/5/2017 – Next update: 4/12/2017

Fuel Prices
+1.2%$2.56 / gallon
Trucking Success partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at http://www.truckersedge.net/promo123 or entering “promo123” during sign up.

DAT News & Blogs

NPR recently ran a story where they listed the most common job for every state for each year, from 1978 to 2014. Truck drivers are everywhere. 

Source: IPUMS-CPS/ University Of Minnesota
Credit: Quoctrung Bui/NPR

Not all of those truck driver jobs are over-the-road, though. The story was based on census information, and the government categorizes delivery people as truck drivers, too. 

Still, trucking has had more staying power than a lot of jobs. NPR noted a few of the reasons:

“Driving a truck has been immune to two of the biggest trends affecting U.S. jobs: globalization and automation. A worker in China can’t drive a truck in Ohio, and machines can’t drive cars (yet).”

In 2014, truck driver was the most common job in 28 states. At its peak in 2004, truck driving was the most common job in a whopping 36 states. 

In North Carolina, it’s been the most common job every year since 1986, the longest current streak. Not too surprising, since Charlotte is one of the most popular cities for load posts on DAT TruckersEdge.

Carriers Hire the Most Truck Drivers in 5 Years

While the map above is for 2014, it seems safe to say that a 2017 map would still look pretty similar. In February, trucking fleets added 10,600 jobs, the biggest increase in five years, according to the Wall Street Journal. This comes a month after fleets cut their payrolls by 5,100 jobs, so part of that increase was because fleets were adding back the jobs that went away in January.

Still, it’s a strong sign of growth for the trucking industry, so driving a truck is going to stay a popular job for a while yet.

Trucking Success partners with DAT to offer a special on the TruckersEdge load board. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up at http://www.truckersedge.net/promo123 or entering “promo123” during sign up.