Spot market sees better than normal Dec

PORTLAND, Ore. — TransCore‘s market research report states that 2010 closed with a 55 percent increase in spot market freight availability in December, compared to the same month in ’09.

Freight volume for each of the last six months has surpassed the highest level since 2005, a peak year for spot market volume.

However, on a month-over-month basis, December availability was relatively stable, with only a 0.2 percent increase over November, which is better than expected than what is typical of the month.

From 2001 through 2008, spot freight volume declined between November and December by an average of 19 percent, says TransCore.

Van rates remained stable, at a national line haul average of $1.28 per mile, confirming the relatively high demand in the face of looming capacity shortages, states TransCore’s Truckload Rate Index.

The national average line-haul spot market rates for reefer trucks softened by about 3.3 percent to $1.47 per mile and flatbed rates dipped slightly by $0.01 in December, which TransCore notes is quite normal for the season.