Monthly rates data provided by Truckstop.com.Despite other indicators showing a slowdown in the economic recovery in December, per-mile rates on the spot market for two prominent freight sectors continued to show strength.
Dry van loads averaged $2.64 a mile in December in Truckstop.com’s system — a 2-cent increase from November and an 80-cent jump from May, just seven months earlier. It was van’s strongest showing in two and a half years, since July 2018.
Flatbed rates, likewise, climbed 3 cents in December to $2.66 — a 45-cent gain from its recent low point in May. It was also a multi-year high mark for flatbed on Truckstop.com’s board, hitting its best monthly average since September 2018.
Lastly, reefer’s average in December slipped 8 cents, to $2.68 a mile. That’s still 46 cents higher than the segment’s low in April. It’s also 36 cents stronger than November 2019 (Truckstop.com averages were unavailable for December 2019).
