DAT: Contract van and reefer rates make record June-to-July gains
PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Contract rates for dry van and refrigerated truckload freight posted their largest June-to-July increases on record, according to DAT Freight & Analytics, provider of the industry’s leading load boards and freight analytics.
The average contract linehaul rate, which excludes a fuel surcharge, increased 13 cents per mile for van freight and 9 cents per mile for refrigerated (“reefer”) freight. Rates climbed even as freight volumes declined across all three equipment types, highlighting the growing influence of available capacity on pricing.
The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which measures loads moved during the month, declined from June:
- Dry van TVI: 252, down 6% month over month and 3% year over year
- Reefer TVI: 181, down 5% month over month and 13% year over year
- Flatbed TVI: 291, down 8% month over month and 7% year over year
Freight volumes typically decline in July following seasonal activity in June. However, the June-to-July decrease in reefer volume was the steepest in six years, and the 13% year-over-year decline was the largest among the three equipment types.
Contract rates rise across all equipment types
Contract rates are negotiated prices paid by shippers to asset-based carriers and freight brokers. Including fuel surcharges, national average contract rates increased across all three equipment types in July:
- Dry van: $3.01 per mile, up 12 cents from June
- Reefer: $3.29 per mile, up 7 cents
- Flatbed: $3.83 per mile, up 3 cents
Excluding fuel, the average contract van linehaul rate increased 13 cents to $2.39 per mile. The reefer rate rose 9 cents to $2.62, while the flatbed rate increased 4 cents to $3.09.
Spot rates remain elevated
Spot rates, paid by freight brokers to carriers on a per-transaction basis, were mixed in July. Van and reefer rates moved higher despite declining volumes, while the flatbed rate retreated from its all-time high in June:
- Spot van rate: $3.01 per mile, up 1 cent from June
- Spot reefer rate: $3.42 per mile, up 3 cents
- Spot flatbed rate: $3.64 per mile, down 5 cents
Linehaul rates were $2.39 per mile for van freight, up 2 cents; $2.75 for reefer, up 5 cents; and $2.90 for flatbed, down 4 cents.
Compared with July 2025, average spot linehaul rates were 76 cents higher for van freight, 79 cents higher for reefer freight and 86 cents higher for flatbed freight. Contract linehaul rates were 37 cents higher for van freight, 30 cents higher for reefer freight and 49 cents higher for flatbed freight. The year-over-year comparisons are against a relatively weak July 2025, when spot linehaul rates were only 3 to 8 cents higher than a year earlier, and contract linehaul rates were essentially unchanged.
Van spot and contract rates reach parity
National average van spot and contract linehaul rates were both $2.39 per mile in July. With fuel included, both averaged $3.01 per mile.
The reefer spot linehaul rate was 13 cents higher than the contract rate, though the gap narrowed from 17 cents in June as contract pricing rose faster. The flatbed contract linehaul rate was 19 cents higher than the spot rate, compared with an 11-cent difference in June.
“Spot rates moving ahead of contract rates have historically signaled a tightening market, but we haven’t seen a capacity-driven market quite like this one,” said Dean Croke, DAT industry analyst. “Van spot and contract rates reached parity in July even as volumes declined, while van and reefer contract rates posted record June-to-July gains. When rates rise this quickly as volumes fall, it indicates that available capacity is exerting greater influence on pricing.”
Fuel surcharges edge lower for now
Average fuel surcharges declined 1 to 2 cents per mile from June to July, averaging 62 cents for van freight, 67 cents for reefer freight and 74 cents for flatbed freight. Compared with July 2025, fuel surcharges were 20 to 23 cents per mile higher.
About the DAT Truckload Volume Index
The DAT Truckload Volume Index measures monthly changes in loads with a pickup date during that month for hauls of 250 miles or more in the United States and Canada. A baseline of 100 equals the number of loads moved in January 2015, based on data from DAT RateView, part of the DAT iQ freight analytics platform. Rates are derived from invoice data submitted by shippers, brokers, and carriers, who provide transaction records directly from their TMS systems. Monthly average spot rates reflect amounts paid by the broker to the carrier. Contract rates are paid by shippers primarily to asset-based carriers and brokers.
About DAT Freight & Analytics
DAT Freight & Analytics operates the DAT One truckload freight marketplace; Convoy Platform, an automated freight-matching technology; DAT iQ analytics service; Trucker Tools load-visibility platform; and DAT Outgo factoring and financial services for truckers. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations, and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights, informed by nearly 700,000 daily load posts and a database exceeding $1 trillion in freight market transactions.
Founded in 1978, DAT is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 500. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, DAT continues to set the standard for innovation in the trucking and logistics industry. Visit dat.com for more information.
Contact:
Georgia Jablon
DAT Freight & Analytics
georgia.jablon@dat.com
904-305-6454
Stephen Petit
SiefkesPetit Communications
425-443-8976