December Load-Board Activity Rises, DAT Says
Load-board activity in December rose 10%, led by refrigerated loads, capping two quarters of unusually strong seasonal volume, according to DAT, a load board owned by TransCore.
Load availability rose 1% for flatbeds and 14% for refrigerated loads, DAT reported Feb. 18 in its monthly North American Freight Index report. Dry-van freight availability gained 19%.
“Typically, freight levels peak in Q2, fall in Q3 and remain low through year end, but this year’s pattern formed a high plateau through most of the second half,” DAT said in its report.
Compared with December 2012, freight volume increased 45% and had the highest level for any December since the index began in 1996.
Spot-market rates in December rose 5% for dry vans, 3.2% for reefers and 3.8% for flatbeds, DAT said.
