Weather hampers April spot market

PORTLAND, Ore.– TransCore’s North American Freight Index showed a 14 percent decline in spot market truckload freight volume for the month of April, compared to March, but a 12 percent increase compared to April 2010.

Freight volumes in the US south and Midwest were negatively impacted by the extreme weather conditions and tornadoes the regions experienced at the time.

The month-to-month decline was the first instance in 15 years where spot market freight volume dropped from March to April.

Compared to March, April brought moderation of truckload capacity constraints on the spot market, led by a 6.7 percent increase in capacity and a 9.5 percent decline in freight availability for dry vans. Refrigerated (“reefer”) capacity increased 3.4 percent while freight availability slipped 5.1 percent.

However, both flatbed capacity and freight volumes dipped, 2.6 percent, and 9.7 percent, respectively.