DAT: Dry van spot rates top contract for first time since February 2022; flatbed rates hit record high

Rhea-AI Summary

DAT Freight & Analytics (NYSE:ROP) reported that in June 2026 the national average dry van spot rate rose to $3.00 per mile, topping the contract rate for the first time since February 2022. Spot and linehaul rates for van, reefer, and flatbed increased faster than volumes, with flatbed spot and linehaul rates hitting all-time highs as capacity tightened amid regulatory and immigration-related impacts on driver supply.

News Market Reaction – ROP

+0.30%

+0.30% Session close to close

In the Jul 9 session, ROP gained 0.30%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

DAT’s June report highlighted sharply higher spot and linehaul rates, with van linehaul up 45% year ...

Analysis

DAT’s June report highlighted sharply higher spot and linehaul rates, with van linehaul up 45% year over year despite flat-to-lower volumes. For ROP, this underscores pricing strength but also capacity-driven risk, so investors may watch upcoming freight updates and ROP’s Q2 call for confirmation.

Key Figures

Van TVI: 262 Flatbed TVI: 308 Spot van rate: $3.00 per mile +5 more

8 metrics

Van TVI 262 June 2026, up 11% vs May and roughly flat vs June 2025

Flatbed TVI 308 June 2026, up 12% vs May and down 4% vs June 2025

Spot van rate $3.00 per mile June 2026, up $0.11 from May

Spot flatbed rate $3.69 per mile June 2026, up $0.04 from May to an all-time high

Van linehaul rate $2.37 per mile June 2026, up $0.21 from May

Flatbed linehaul rate $2.94 per mile June 2026, up $0.16 from May to an all-time high

Van linehaul increase 45% Year-over-year increase in van linehaul rates in June 2026

Flatbed linehaul increase 40% Year-over-year increase in flatbed linehaul rates in June 2026

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jul 01 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Jul 01	Earnings call scheduling	Neutral	+4.8%	Announcement of Q2 2026 results release date and conference call details.
Jun 29	Freight rates report	Positive	-1.0%	U.S. Bank and DAT data showing higher truck freight rates on softer volumes.
Jun 25	Product feature launch	Positive	+0.3%	Launch of Load Recommendations in DAT One to improve carrier load matching.
Jun 17	Customer win	Positive	-2.2%	Chartwell Law’s adoption of Aderant Expert Sierra cloud platform.
Jun 16	Freight rates update	Positive	+1.5%	DAT report of rising May spot and contract truckload rates despite weaker demand.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent DAT- and software-related updates have produced a mix of aligned and contrary single-day price reactions for ROP.

Key Terms

truckload volume index, spot rates, linehaul rates, fuel surcharge

4 terms

truckload volume index technical

"The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which measures loads moved during the month"

A truckload volume index is a numeric measure that tracks the amount of full-truck shipments moving through the freight market over time, usually compiled from carrier, broker, or logistics platform data. It matters to investors because changes in the index act like a speedometer for goods-moving activity—rising values signal stronger shipping demand and potential pressure on freight rates and inventory flows, while falling values suggest weaker transport demand and slower economic activity.

spot rates financial

"Dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed spot rates all increased in June"

Spot rates are the current prices or interest rates for buying or selling an asset or currency for immediate settlement, like the cash price you pay at a store today rather than a future promise to pay. Investors care because spot rates set the baseline for valuing investments, comparing returns across time, and pricing forward contracts or swaps; they reveal what the market demands now for taking on risk or providing liquidity.

linehaul rates financial

"Spot linehaul rates increased at least 39% year over year"

Linehaul rates are the charges for moving goods over the main part of a shipment’s journey—typically the long-distance transport between terminals or cities—excluding local pickup or delivery fees. For investors, these rates are a major driver of a carrier’s revenue and profit margins because they reflect demand for capacity, fuel and labor costs, and pricing power; think of them as the highway toll for freight that determines how much a transport business can earn per trip.

fuel surcharge financial

"as lower fuel surcharges offset gains in linehaul rates"

A fuel surcharge is an extra fee added to shipping, freight, or travel charges to offset changes in fuel costs, so companies don’t have to absorb sudden spikes. It matters to investors because it affects revenue and profit margins—showing how well a business can pass higher costs to customers—and can signal exposure to energy price swings that influence demand, pricing power, and short-term earnings volatility, like adding a flexible "gas tax" to a bill.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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PORTLAND, Ore., July 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Truckload rates climbed faster than freight volumes last month, a disparity that points to tighter truck capacity rather than stronger freight demand, according to DAT Freight & Analytics, provider of the industry's leading load boards and freight analytics.

The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which measures loads moved during the month, rose across all three equipment types compared to May:

• Van TVI: 262, up 11% from May but roughly flat compared to June 2025
• Refrigerated TVI: 184, up 5% from May but down 8% from June 2025
• Flatbed TVI: 308, up 12% from May but down 4% from June 2025
  
  

The national average van truckload spot rate exceeded the contract rate in June for the first time since February 2022, and overall rate growth far exceeded volume growth last month. Spot linehaul rates increased at least 39% year over year across all three equipment types, while volumes were flat to lower. Capacity has continued to tighten amid regulatory changes and immigration enforcement, reducing the supply of qualified truck drivers.

Spot rates climb faster than volumes

Dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed spot rates all increased in June, with flatbed spot rates hitting a new all-time high. The gains came even as freight volumes rose more modestly, reinforcing signs of capacity tightening.

• Spot van rate: $3.00 per mile, up 11 cents from May
• Spot reefer rate: $3.39 per mile, up 4 cents from May
• Spot flatbed rate: $3.69 per mile, up 4 cents from May to an all-time high
  
  

Linehaul rates, which remove an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge, increased substantially:

• Van linehaul rate: $2.37 per mile, up 21 cents from May
• Reefer linehaul rate: $2.70 per mile, up 14 cents from May
• Flatbed linehaul rate: $2.94 per mile, up 16 cents from May to an all-time high
  
  

Year over year, the national average van linehaul rate was up 74 cents in June, reefer was up 76 cents, and flatbed was up 84 cents. Rates increased 45% for van freight, 39% for refrigerated, and 40% for flatbed, the largest year-over-year percentage increases in linehaul rates since June 2021 for vans and since July 2021 for reefers and flatbeds.

Contract rates lag spot

National average contract rates were mixed in June. All-in pricing slipped for van and refrigerated freight as lower fuel surcharges offset gains in linehaul rates, while flatbed edged higher:

• Contract van rate: $2.89 per mile, down 3 cents from May
• Contract reefer rate: $3.22 per mile, down 6 cents from May
• Contract flatbed rate: $3.80 per mile, up 3 cents from May
  
  

The national average contract linehaul rate increased across all three equipment types: van rose 7 cents to $2.26 per mile, reefer increased 4 cents to $2.53, and flatbed climbed 15 cents to $3.05.

Year over year, the national average contract rate was up 49 cents for van freight, 48 cents for reefer, and 71 cents for flatbed.

Spot-contract gap widens

The national average van spot rate moved above contract for the first time since February 2022, and the reefer spot-contract gap widened to 17 cents from 7 cents in May. Flatbed remains the exception, with contract linehaul rates still above spot. That spread has closed to 11 cents in June from 52 cents a year ago.

“The difference between spot and contract rates has narrowed steadily for more than a year, and carriers are gaining pricing power across the board,” said Dean Croke, DAT industry analyst. “Van spot beating contract for the first time in four years, and flatbed hitting an all-time high in the same month, shows real capacity pressure. If demand were driving this, volumes would be climbing too, and they’re not.”

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 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

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ce8e6700-4c43-431c-8a56-8c7cf355ee75

FAQ

What did DAT report about dry van spot vs contract rates in June 2026 for ROP?

In June 2026, DAT reported the national average dry van spot rate reached $3.00 per mile, exceeding the contract rate for the first time since February 2022. According to DAT, this shift reflects tightening truckload capacity as spot pricing gains ground on contract pricing.

How high did flatbed spot and linehaul rates rise in June 2026, according to DAT (ROP)?

DAT reported the national average flatbed spot rate at $3.69 per mile in June 2026, an all-time high. According to DAT, flatbed linehaul rates also reached a record $2.94 per mile, up 16 cents from May and 84 cents year over year.

How did the DAT Truckload Volume Index change in June 2026 across equipment types?

The DAT Truckload Volume Index rose month over month for all equipment types in June 2026. According to DAT, van TVI increased 11% to 262, reefer TVI rose 5% to 184, and flatbed TVI climbed 12% to 308 compared with May levels.

What factors are tightening truckload capacity in June 2026, according to DAT Freight & Analytics?

DAT cited tighter truck capacity rather than stronger freight demand as rates climbed faster than volumes in June 2026. According to DAT, regulatory changes and immigration enforcement have reduced the supply of qualified truck drivers, contributing to capacity pressure and higher spot and linehaul rates.

How did spot linehaul rates change year over year in June 2026 for van, reefer, and flatbed?

Spot linehaul rates increased sharply year over year in June 2026 across all equipment types. According to DAT, van linehaul rose 45%, reefer 39%, and flatbed 40%, with vans up 74 cents, reefers 76 cents, and flatbeds 84 cents per mile versus June 2025.

What was the gap between spot and contract rates for different equipment types in June 2026?

In June 2026, the national average van spot rate moved above contract, while reefer’s spot-contract gap widened to 17 cents. According to DAT, flatbed remained the exception, with contract linehaul still above spot, though that spread narrowed to 11 cents from 52 cents a year earlier.