Economic forces, consumer demand, seasonality, natural disasters and myriad other factors contribute to transport’s cyclical market.
The charts below show the latest data on Class 8 truck orders, trailer orders, monthly tonnage, linehaul rates and load-to-truck ratios. We’ll update this page frequently as new data is released.
Load-to-truck ratios from DAT serve as indicators of supply and demand in the spot market. The ratio is calculated based on the number of load posts compared to the number of truck posts on DAT Load Boards. Ratio changes can signal upcoming fluctuations in spot rates.
Compared to the previous week, load-to-truck ratios July 31 to Aug. 6 decreased except for reefer, according to DAT numbers:
Dry van decreased from 4 to 3.6 loads per truck
Reefer increased from 7.5 to 7.8 loads per truck
Flatbed decreased from 19.6 to 12.2 loads per truck
While flatbed load-to-truck ratios have slumped further, other metrics also experienced declines. Flatbed posts decreased 20% to the lowest amount for any week this year, DAT noted.
Additionally, it was the third week this year with fewer than 1 million van loads posted, according to the freight marketplace.
