PORTLAND, OREGON, US  — The national average spot truckload rates for dry and refrigerated freight jumped to new highs in January, the eighth consecutive month of increases, DAT Freight & Analytics said. 

The prices to move dry and refrigerated (“reefer”) freight were nearly $1 a mile higher year over year. The van rate averaged $3.11 per mile in January, an 11¢ increase over December, and a 99¢ increase from 2021. The average reefer rate was $3.59 per mile, up 12¢ month over month, said DAT, which operates the industry’s largest truckload freight marketplace. 

Also in January, the national spot average rate for reefer loads increased 12¢ to $3.59 per mile, up 98¢ compared with January 2021. The average flatbed rate on the spot market rose 6¢ to $3.14 a mile in January. The spot flatbed rate has been above $3 a mile for nine consecutive months and is 64¢ higher year over year, DAT said.

DAT’s Truckload Volume Index (TVI) was 229 in January, a 3.8% decline compared with December, the highest-ever TVI for January, and a 15% increase year over year. The number of loads posted to the DAT One load board network increased 37.4% compared with December and 104.7% versus January 2021.

“Load-to-truck ratios on the DAT load board network hit record highs for January, a sign of exceptionally strong demand for truckload services,” said Ken Adamo, chief of analytics with DAT. “While the number of loads moved gradually eased throughout the month, tight capacity and disruptions due to winter weather and COVID-19 helped push rates to historic levels.”

 Rail activity

In the week ended Feb. 12, US weekly rail traffic totaled 504,482 carloads and intermodal units, up 5% from the same week a year earlier, the Association of American Railroads said.  The total included 236,457 carloads, up 11.9% compared with the same week in 2021, and 268,025 containers and trailers, down 0.4% compared with 2021.

Seven of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2021: Chemicals, coal, nonmetallic minerals, food and farm products excluding grain, forest products, grain, metallic ores and minerals and nonmetallic minerals. Grain carloads in the week totaled 24,265, up 6% from the same week a year earlier, bringing the cumulative 2021 total to 142,296 carloads for a weekly average of 23,716, down 10% from the same period in 2021.

The petroleum and petroleum products, motor vehicles and parts, and miscellaneous commodity groups posted decreases from a year earlier.

The AAR also announced cumulative volume on US railroads for the first six weeks of 2022: 1,357,008 carloads, down 0.8% from the same point last year; and 1,509,334 intermodal units, down 11.8% from 2021. Total combined US traffic for the first six weeks of 2022 was 2,866,342 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 6.9% compared with last year.

Canadian railroads reported 72,963 carloads for the week, up 5%, and 67,484 intermodal units, up 5% compared with the same week in 2021. For the first six weeks of 2022, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 793,071 carloads, containers and trailers, down 12%. Canadian grain carloads in the week ended Feb. 12 totaled 7,905, down 0.4% from the same week a year earlier, bringing the cumulative total for 2022 to 41,262 carloads for a weekly average of 6,877, down 31% from the same period in 2021.

Mexican railroads reported 20,178 carloads for the week, down 4% compared with the same week last year, and 15,465 intermodal units, down 12.4%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first six weeks of 2022 was 220,307 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 3% from the same point last year. Mexican grain carloads in the week totaled 1,795, down 4% from the same week a year earlier, bringing the 2022 total to 11,122 carloads for a weekly average of 1,854, down 9% from the same period in 2021.

North American rail volume on 12 reporting US, Canadian and Mexican railroads in the week ended Feb. 12, 2022, totaled 329,598 carloads, up 9% compared with the same week last year, and 350,974 intermodal units, down 0.1% compared with last year. Combined North American traffic was 680,572 carloads and intermodal units, up 4%. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2022 was 3,879,720 carloads and intermodal units, down 8% compared with 2021. North American grain carloads in the week ended Feb. 12 totaled 33,965, up 4% from a year earlier, bringing 2022 cumulative grain carloads on the continent to 194,680 for a weekly average of 32,447, down 16% from the same period in 2021.

 Rail prices

The average February shuttle secondary railcar bid-offer in the week ended Feb. 10 was $38 a car above tariff, the Agricultural Marketing Service said in its weekly grain transportation report using data from James B. Joiner Co. and Tradewest Brokerage Co. The average price was down $633 from the previous week and $229 lower compared with the same week in 2021. There were no non-shuttle bids or offers in the week, the AMS said.

 Barge activity

US barged grain movements in the week ended Feb. 12 totaled 426,106 tons, down 27% from the previous week and down 37% from the same period last year, the US Army Corps of Engineers said. In the same week, 270 grain barges moved down river, 93 fewer barges than in the previous week, the Corps and AMS said. There were 823 grain barges unloaded in the New Orleans Region, up 31% from the previous week.

 Ocean freight activity

In the week ended Feb. 10, 32 oceangoing grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf, 33% fewer than the same period last year, the AMS said. In the 10 days starting Feb. 11, 53 vessels were expected to be loaded, 15% fewer than in the same period in 2021.

The rate for shipping one tonne of grain from the US Gulf to Japan was $65 on Feb. 10, up 7% from the previous week. The rate for shipping one tonne of grain from the Pacific Northwest to Japan was $36, up 6% from the previous week.

 Fuel prices

In the week ended Feb. 14, The US average diesel fuel price increased 6.8¢ from the previous week to $4.019 per gallon, 114.3¢ above the same week last year. At $3.884 per gallon, the average Midwest diesel price increased 40.7¢ in in the first six weeks of 2022, according to the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.

Following are the average weekly on-highway diesel prices per gallon by region on Feb. 14: