Spot truckload freight postings fell 15% while the number of trucks on DAT MembersEdge increased 13% last week, a sign that capacity is loosening ahead of the Christmas holiday.
Big swings are typical when you compare a full workweek to one with a major holiday.
Spot truckload freight volumes rebound after Thanksgiving
While spot rates have been setting records, there are signs that pricing is beginning to soften for the first time in more than seven months.
Truckload volumes bounced back after Thanksgiving as the number of available loads increased 93% during the week ending Dec. 6, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the industry’s largest online marketplace for spot truckload freight.
Truckload volumes bounced back after Thanksgiving — the number of available loads increased 93% week over week to close out last week, ending Dec. 6.
The freight demand and rates dynamics that have been at work since the economic recovery began in June have held through the usual holiday freight season of September, October and November.
Overall, reefer load posts down 48% week-over-week but volumes 55% higher compared to this time last year, DAT said
Load board activity declined sharply last week, with carriers, brokers, and shippers taking time off for Thanksgiving. Freight that did move was priced at a premium, with rates rising on most high-traffic lanes.
Ken Adamo, chief of analytics for DAT Solutions, said he’s closely watching how vaccine distribution might affect truck capacity. “There’s no historical precedent for the vaccine response to a 100-year pandemic,” he said.