Van spot market update — volume, rates relatively steady into holiday week

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Updated Dec 24, 2015

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Van load availability slipped 5 percent last week ahead of the holiday and truck capacity edged up 1 percent, pushing the average load-to-truck ratio down from 1.7 to 1.6 loads per truck since the last update. More loads moved in the top 90 high-volume lanes, but there were plenty of trucks, too, so anemic increases in volume on those lanes did not lead a rate increase. In fact, rates fell a cent nationally to $1.71 per mile.

Outbound rates declined for loads originating in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Philadelphia.Outbound rates declined for loads originating in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Loads are readily available, and trucks are relatively scarce, in a handful of hot markets, including Spokane, Wash.; Twin Falls, Idaho; Fargo, N.D.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Des Moines, Iowa; Rock Island, Ill.; Hutchinson, Kan.; Joplin, Mo.; Lubbock and El Paso, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; and Decatur, Ala.

Heading into this holiday week, a relative shortage of trucks in Mississippi, New Hampshire and Maine yielded high load-to-truck ratios, despite lower freight volume.