Dry van spot rates eased slightly in the first week of August even as they remained far above year-ago levels, according to the latest weekly market report from DAT Freight & Analytics. The national dry van linehaul spot rate, excluding fuel, averaged $2.32 per mile for the week ending August 1, down 2.4 percent from the prior week but still up 42.1 percent compared with a year earlier.

The report attributed the pullback to softening summer freight volumes rather than a broader shift in market direction. Among the busiest origin regions, the Southeast and Carolinas posted some of the steepest weekly declines, each falling roughly 4 to 5 percent, while the Lower Midwest held up best with a smaller 1.6 percent dip. California remained the highest-priced origin region at $2.68 per mile.

Capacity continued to tighten faster than freight demand cooled. Truck posts fell 12.5 percent week over week and 27.8 percent year over year, pushing the national load-to-truck ratio up to 10.93 from 9.92 the prior week. Spot rates also moved above contract rates, with spot at $2.32 per mile against a contract average of $2.25 per mile, a reversal from the pattern that favored contract pricing for roughly 45 months beginning in March 2022.

DAT's 35-day forecast puts dry van spot rates near $2.29 per mile by early September, modestly below the current level but still well above rates recorded at the same point last year.

Source: DAT Freight & Analytics - https://www.dat.com/blog/dry-van-report-spot-rates-ease-as-summer-freight-demand-softens