With the annual Roadcheck inspection blitz in its final day, with an emphasis on hours-of-service compliance, as shown elsewhere here in OverdriveOnline.com, a lot of haulers take a vacation to avoid the hassle. And many drivers are in fact working lose driving time due to the inspections. Constraints on time and nationwide capacity result — Roadcheck usually leads to higher rates.
Hot van markets: Many of the top van lanes have average rates exceeding $3 per mile. Strong volumes in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta also signal a strong June for the spot market. Atlanta van load counts only dropped 2 percent last week, compared to the previous week, yet the average van rate on the lane from Atlanta to Philadelphia, as just one example, spiked to $3.56 per mile last week.
Not so hot: Strong inbound volumes to the Northeast continued to keep prices in check in that region, since there are more trucks available to haul outbound loads. Out West, the lane from Denver to Phoenix fell to just $1.28 per mile.
Hot reefer markets: Reefer demand continues to build in California, with rates climbing in north-central markets like Sacramento and Fresno. Reefer rates were also on the rise out of Los Angeles, with the average price on the lane to Denver hitting $3.62 per mile.
Not so hot: Florida markets are sliding from the spring peak. For example, rates on the lane from Miami to Elizabeth, N.J., tumbled 40 cents to an average of $2.49 per mile.
