Freight trends from DAT One and DAT iQ
DAT spot market data for Aug. 9-15, 2026 (Week 33)
DAT One load posts totaled 2.6 million for the week of Aug. 9-15, down 4% from the prior week. Equipment posts totaled 172,279, down 2%. National average linehaul rates softened, with the flatbed rate down 7 cents from the previous week. The EIA’s national average on-highway diesel price used in this week’s fuel surcharge calculation was $5.348 a gallon (week ending Aug. 3), up 3.5 cents (0.7%) from $5.313 the week before.
7-day average broker-to-carrier spot rates (linehaul + fuel surcharge):
▼ Van: $2.93 per mile, down 2 cents
— Reefer: $3.38 per mile, essentially flat
▼ Flatbed: $3.54 per mile, down 6 cents
Dry van: Load and truck posts pulled back at roughly the same pace.
▼ Loads: 1,159,855, down 1%
▼ Trucks: 116,258, down 1%
▼ Linehaul rate: $2.25 per mile, down 3 cents
— Load-to-truck ratio: 10.0, essentially flat from 10.0 the prior week
Reefer: Volume drops sharply while rates hold close to flat.
▼ Loads: 608,073, down 6%
▼ Trucks: 32,665, down 6%
— Linehaul rate: $2.63 per mile, essentially flat
▼ Load-to-truck ratio: 18.6, down from 18.7 the prior week
Flatbed: Loads and rates retreat
▼ Loads: 804,622, down 6%
▼ Trucks: 23,356, down 2%
▼ Linehaul rate: $2.72 per mile, down 7 cents
▼ Load-to-truck ratio: 34.5, down from 35.8 the prior week
Market analysis from Dean Croke, industry analyst at DAT Freight & Analytics
Rates remain far above last year despite this week’s pullback. All three equipment types are up 34-38% year over year (van +38.4%, reefer +33.7%, flatbed +35.7%), even after a soft week. Last year’s soft market continues to lead to dramatic year-over-year gains.
Capacity has shrunk dramatically while demand grew. Truck posts are down 25-30% year over year across all three equipment types, while load posts are up 25-27% year over year. That combination, more freight chasing far fewer trucks, is the structural reason rates are still elevated.
Rates are sitting near the top of their nine-year seasonal range. The national average van linehaul rate is running 26% above its nine-year seasonal average, reefer 25% above, and flatbed 29% above. Current rates are high year over year and by historical standards for this time of year.
Flatbed demand is cooling faster than the other two equipment types. With a 7-cent decline, the flatbed linehaul rate fell more sharply than the other two equipment types. Lower flatbed rates in mid-August track with seasonal shifts in construction and agricultural activity.
DAT iQ’s forecast expects rates to hold, not collapse. The 35-day DAT iQ RateCast forecast puts the average linehaul van rate at $2.24 a mile, reefer at $2.61, and flatbed at $2.65 by mid-September. That’s roughly 60 cents above year-ago levels.
