Broker to carrier spot rates softened during the week of Aug. 9-15 while staying far above year ago levels, according to DAT Freight and Analytics data reported by The Trucker.

Seven day average spot rates including fuel surcharge came in at $2.93 per mile for dry van, down 2 cents from the prior week, $3.38 per mile for refrigerated, essentially flat, and $3.54 per mile for flatbed, down 6 cents.

Load posts on DAT One totaled 2.6 million for the week, a 4% decline from the previous week, while equipment posts totaled 172,279, down 2%. The EIA national average on highway diesel price used in the week's fuel surcharge calculation was $5.348 a gallon for the week ending Aug. 3, up 3.5 cents from $5.313 the week before.

Year over year comparisons remain wide. DAT industry analyst Dean Croke said all three equipment types are up 34% to 38% against 2025, with van at 38.4%, reefer at 33.7% and flatbed at 35.7%.

Croke attributed the gap to a capacity shift rather than a demand surge alone. Truck posts are down 25% to 30% year over year across all three equipment types while load posts are up 25% to 27%, leaving more freight competing for a smaller pool of available trucks.

Measured against longer history, rates are elevated. Croke said the national average van linehaul rate is running 26% above its nine year seasonal average, reefer 25% above and flatbed 29% above, placing current pricing near the top of its nine year seasonal range.

Source: The Trucker - https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/business/dat-flatbed-spot-rates-dips-7-cents-to-3-54-a-mile