Flatbed Rates Hold Steady at 2-Year Highs

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Flatbed volumes didn’t slip as expected in the first half of July. Instead, there were almost 50% more loads last week than the week before, and rates are holding up at the highest levels in two years.

WHAT’S HOT – Rates were on the rise last week in two Atlantic seaport markets: Baltimore and Jacksonville. Two Southeastern freight hubs, Atlanta and Memphis, also got a big boost. Atlanta’s outbound rates hit an average of $2.70 per mile, very close to Houston’s $2.71-per mile high-water mark. (Houston is the leader for flatbed volume and rates.)

WHAT’S NOT – The biggest decline was out of Ft. Worth, where the outbound average dropped below $2.00 per mile last week. But rates next door in Dallas were up in the $2.25-per mile range, due to a more favorable mix of freight and lanes. Rates are dropping in Roanoke, too, but they were still $2.75 per mile last week, which is pretty good. The rate-per-mile leader in the region was Savannah, at $2.93 per mile despite a downward trend.

Find loads, trucks, and lane-by-lane rate information in the DAT Power load board, including rates from DAT RateView.

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