Reefer Demand Focuses on the Midwest

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The national average for reefer rates stayed put at $2.07 per mile last week, but pricing got rearranged by region.

The dark areas on the Hot States Map below are areas where the load-to-truck ratio is highest for reefers. As you can see, demand for reefers continues to accelerate in the Midwest. That’s a normal trend for this time of year. More loads are moving out of the Grand Rapids market, which is known for apples, while Green Bay is harvesting potatoes. Rates out of Minneapolis are also on the upswing.

More loads left Fresno last week, too, but the volume hasn’t been high enough to change pricing very much.

On the down side, Nogales, AZ, rates slipped lower, and Sacramento gave up the previous week’s gains in rates and volume. Miami rates also dropped 4¢ per mile, but rates and volume there may increase in the coming weeks, as ships full of South American produce are diverted from Houston to the Port of Miami.

Rates below include fuel surcharges and are based on real transactions between carriers and brokers

RISING LANES

  • Green Bay to Minneapolis surged, up 75¢ to $2.88 per mile
  • Grand Rapids to Philadelphia gained 59¢ to $3.59 per mile
  • On the East Coast, the lane from Elizabeth, NJ to Lakeland, FL added 27¢ to $2.38 per mile

FALLING LANES

  • Miami to Atlanta rates lost 30¢ to $1.24 per mile, but that’s normal for the season. This lane could heat up again soon.
  • Ontario, CA to Chicago lost another 29¢ to $1.48 per mile, as freight volume out of Southern California continues to drop
  • Chicago to Minneapolis rates fell 18¢ to $2.27 per mile, as rates out of Minneapolis are trending up

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

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