When the end of the of month coincides with the end of the quarter, good things usually happen for carriers on the spot market, as everybody with inventory that needs to get off the books moves it. March 31 and April 1 saw hints that the Spring freight season might have finally arrived.
Spot truckload freight volume was up 11 percent nationally while the number of truck posts dipped 5.5 percent during the week ending April 2. Fewer truck posts is typically associated with fewer carriers hungry for loads.
March is usually a transition month, borne out by the month-over-month and year-over-year DAT freight volumes. Spot market loads posted in March showed volume 42 percent higher than in February — but 28 percent lower than the same period in 2015.
Here’s how the last week played out in vans and reefers.