Flatbed pricing has been volatile lately, with large swings in both directions. There were sharp declines last week, with flatbed rates are coming down from record highs, but prices remain elevated.
There is less activity in Texas, which may be related to steel tariffs. The specialty pipe used in the oilfields is manufactured almost entirely out of imported steel.
Last week on DAT’s top 78 flatbed lanes, 38 moved higher, 37 were lower, and 3 were neutral.
Last week the national load-to-truck ratio for flatbeds was 39:1. That’s high, but just a few weeks ago the ratio was above 100:1.
Hot Markets
Outbound markets with double-digit price increases included Jacksonville, FL, Roanoke, VA and Las Vegas. Here are some of the hottest lanes:
- Roanoke to Atlanta jumped a whopping $1.38 to $3.46/mile
- Las Vegas to Los Angeles jumped 64¢ to $4.93/mile
- Jacksonville to Miami increased 43¢ to $3.16/mile
- Reno to Seattle gained 34¢ to $3.06/mile
Falling Markets
Outbound prices slipped lower for flatbeds in Baltimore and Savannah, which could be related to port traffic. Flatbed rates declined significantly in a handful of lanes:
- Raleigh to Greenville, SC plunged $1.20 to $2.61/mile
- Cleveland to Harrisburg dropped 74¢ to $3.62/mile
- Birmingham to Chicago fell 67¢ to $2.49/mile
- Baltimore to Springfield, MA was down 61¢ to a still-high $4.57/mile
Find loads, trucks and lane-by-lane rate information in DAT load boards, including rates from DAT RateView.
