Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/599895
Trucking Topics 26 // COMPANY DRIVER // DECEMBER 2015 By Todd Dills Reefer market update: Rates, demand tumble nationally, with some bright spots in local markets S pot market rates dipped a cent per mile for reefer haulers on DAT Load Boards in September to a national average of $1.95 per mile — that's down almost a dime, however, since the last update the week after Labor Day. Outbound rates continue to trend up in key agricultural markets, including Grand Rapids, Mich.; McAllen, Texas; and Nogales, Ariz., however. Rates were lackluster in the larger freight markets, however, as produce harvests wane and the back-to-school and Halloween merchandise has already been delivered to stores. Rates shown in the above chart are derived from DAT RateView and are based on actual rate agreements between freight brokers and carriers. Demand for reefers moved commensurate with the rate decline, slipping 13 percent on the spot market in October following an end-of-quarter surge, and truck capacity added 2 percent. That combination led to a 15 percent overall decline in the national average load-to-truck ratio, from 4.6 to 3.9 loads per truck on DAT Load Boards. Compared to the last update on the segment, that's a decline from 5.2 loads per truck, or more than 20 percent. Albuquerque, N.M., continues to offer high load availability for reefers, coupled with a shortage of trucks. The demand turned New Mexico into a Hot State, as shown in this map for the week of October 4-10 above. Pockets of high demand and favorable ratios can also be found in Little Rock, Ark., and additional opportunities surfaced in Fargo, N.D., and