DAT: Truckload spot rates post seventh straight monthly gain

Rhea-AI Summary

DAT reports truckload spot rates rose for a seventh straight month in February 2026 as capacity tightened and diesel costs increased. Spot van averaged $2.41/mile (+$0.09 MoM), spot reefer $2.88 (+$0.07), spot flatbed $2.72 (+$0.14).

The DAT Truckload Volume Index fell modestly: Van 210 (-5% MoM), Reefer 173 (-7% MoM), Flatbed 256 (-1% MoM), and was about 6% lower year‑over‑year across segments. Diesel averaged $3.71/gal in February; van fuel surcharge rose to $0.41/mile.

Positive

• Spot van rate +9¢ month-over-month to $2.41/mile
• Spot reefer rate +7¢ month-over-month to $2.88/mile
• Spot flatbed rate +14¢ month-over-month to $2.72/mile
• Seven consecutive months of spot-rate gains since August

Negative

• TVI down ~6% year-over-year across all freight segments
• Diesel price rose to $3.71/gal in February, adding cost pressure
• Narrowest spot-to-contract van rate spread since March 2022, signaling tighter balance

Key Figures

Van TVI: 210 Reefer TVI: 173 Flatbed TVI: 256 +5 more

8 metrics

Van TVI 210 February 2026, down 5% vs January

Reefer TVI 173 February 2026, down 7% vs January

Flatbed TVI 256 February 2026, down 1% vs January

Spot van rate $2.41 per mile February 2026, up $0.09 vs January

Spot reefer rate $2.88 per mile February 2026, up $0.07 vs January

Spot flatbed rate $2.72 per mile February 2026, up $0.14 vs January

Diesel price $3.71 per gallon February 2026, up ~6% MoM and ~1% YoY

Van fuel surcharge $0.41 per mile February 2026, up from $0.38 in January

Market Reality Check

Price: $352.20 Vol: Volume 987,565 is below t...

low vol

$352.20 Last Close

Volume Volume 987,565 is below the 20-day average of 1,592,782, indicating quieter trading before this release. low

Technical Price at 352.20 is trading below the 200-day MA of 474.48, reflecting a weaker longer-term trend.

Peers on Argus

Peer momentum data show only FICO in the scanner, up 5.56% without news. Key sof...

1 Up

Peer momentum data show only FICO in the scanner, up 5.56% without news. Key software peers like TEAM, WDAY, PAYX, DDOG, and ADSK show mixed, modest moves, suggesting this DAT freight update is more company-specific than part of a broad sector swing.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 05 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Mar 05	Product enhancement	Positive	+1.3%	Launch of DAT One iOS widget to speed load matching for owner-operators.
Mar 04	Industry report	Positive	+1.5%	Procare’s 2026 Child Care Business Trends Report with usage and AI adoption metrics.
Mar 04	Correction filing	Neutral	+1.5%	Corrected notice clarifying metrics in Procare’s 2026 industry trends report.
Mar 04	Brand refresh	Positive	+1.5%	Illumia unveils new brand identity and highlights 2026 Distinction Award winners.
Mar 03	Leadership change	Positive	+0.6%	Aderant appoints experienced internal executive as Chief Revenue Officer.

Pattern Detected

Recent company news items have been followed by modestly positive price reactions, suggesting a constructive backdrop to product and business updates.

Recent Company History

Over early March 2026, ROP-linked businesses announced multiple operational and branding updates, including the DAT iOS widget launch and Procare’s 2026 Child Care Business Trends Report. These items were followed by +0.58% to +1.48% next-day moves, indicating incremental positive reception to product enhancements and leadership changes. Today’s DAT freight-rate update fits into this pattern of data- and software-driven ecosystem news across Roper’s portfolio.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights tightening truckload capacity, rising spot and contract rates, and high...

Analysis

This announcement highlights tightening truckload capacity, rising spot and contract rates, and higher diesel costs, with van TVI at 210 and spot van rates at $2.41 per mile. For ROP, it adds another data point to a series of operational updates across portfolio companies. Investors may watch future DAT indices, fuel-surcharge trends, and ROP’s segment disclosures to assess how freight-market dynamics feed into software and data-analytics demand.

Key Terms

spot rates, fuel surcharge, fuel hedging, truckload capacity, +1 more

5 terms

spot rates financial

"Truckload freight volumes eased slightly in February but remained firm... while spot market van and refrigerated (“reefer”) rates increased"

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.

fuel surcharge financial

"That uptick is reflected in fuel surcharges: the average van fuel surcharge climbed to 41 cents per mile"

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.

fuel hedging financial

"Without fuel hedging, contract pricing, or surcharges, carriers will need to negotiate higher spot rates"

Fuel hedging is when a company uses financial contracts to lock in the price it will pay for fuel in the future, similar to agreeing today on the price of gasoline you’ll buy months ahead. It matters to investors because it reduces a company’s exposure to sudden fuel-cost swings, making earnings and cash flow more predictable, but it can also limit benefits if fuel prices fall, affecting margins and reported results.

truckload capacity technical

"National average spot and contract rates increased month over month as truckload capacity tightened"

Truckload capacity is the maximum amount of goods a single freight truck can safely carry, expressed as weight, volume, or the number of pallets it can hold. For investors, it signals how efficiently a company can move products, manage shipping costs and meet customer demand—think of it like a delivery truck's fuel tank size: larger capacity can lower per-item transport costs and reduce bottlenecks, while limited capacity can raise expenses and constrain growth.

load boards technical

"DAT Freight & Analytics, provider of the industry’s leading load boards and freight analytics"

Online platforms where shippers post cargo that needs to move and carriers post available trucks, acting like a digital bulletin board for freight. Investors care because these sites reveal demand, pricing and capacity trends in real time—similar to a marketplace app that shows which goods are selling and how many couriers are available—so they help assess revenue potential, utilization rates and competitive dynamics in transportation businesses.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

PORTLAND, Ore., March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Truckload freight volumes eased slightly in February but remained firm on a daily basis, while spot market van and refrigerated (“reefer”) rates increased for the seventh straight month, said DAT Freight & Analytics, provider of the industry’s leading load boards and freight analytics.

The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), an indicator of trucking industry trends and demand for truckload services, was lower across all three freight segments:

• Van TVI: 210, down 5% compared to January
• Reefer TVI: 173, down 7%
• Flatbed TVI: 256, down 1%
  
  

The declines in van and reefer TVI were less than the expected drop due to the shorter month, suggesting the daily average freight volume actually rose in February compared to January for those two equipment segments. The negligible drop in flatbed TVI also indicates a stable or slightly higher average daily volume.

Volumes were lower year over year, however. Compared with February 2025, the TVI was down approximately 6% across all three freight categories.

Rates: Gaining since August

National average spot and contract rates increased month over month as truckload capacity tightened:

• Spot van rate: $2.41 per mile, up 9 cents from January
• Spot reefer rate: $2.88 per mile, up 7 cents
• Spot flatbed rate: $2.72 per mile, up 14 cents
  
  

Three winter storms—Fern, Gianna, and Ezra—disrupted freight networks across the eastern U.S. in February, tightening available truckload capacity and amplifying spot-rate gains. The storms accelerated a trend that was already underway: spot van and reefer rates had been climbing steadily since August, when the van rate averaged $2.03 per mile and the reefer rate was $2.41 per mile.

• Contract van rate: $2.52 per mile, up 4 cents month over month
• Contract reefer rate: $2.89 per mile, up 8 cents
• Contract flatbed rate: $3.13 per mile, up 12 cents
  
  

The spread between spot and contract van rates narrowed to its smallest gap since March 2022, signaling that freight demand and available truck capacity are moving toward balance.

Fuel: Spiking costs add to uncertainty

Diesel prices added a wrinkle to February’s rate story. The national average price for on-highway diesel rose to $3.71 per gallon in February, up roughly 6% from January and about 1% above February 2025. That uptick is reflected in fuel surcharges: the average van fuel surcharge climbed to 41 cents per mile in February, up from 38 cents in January.

Unlike most loads moving under contract, spot rates are negotiated as an “all-in rate” between the freight broker and carrier. There is no separate fuel surcharge to adjust for fluctuations in diesel prices. Because spot loads are one-time transactions booked close to the pickup date, the rate should already reflect current fuel prices.

Driven by escalating conflict in the Middle East, retail diesel prices have surged since the end of February, compounding an already tightening cost environment for carriers.

“Without fuel hedging, contract pricing, or surcharges, carriers will need to negotiate higher spot rates now to compensate for higher pump prices,” said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics. “Otherwise, more carrier exits are likely—which, paradoxically, could accelerate the supply-side market recovery.”

About the Truckload Volume Index

The DAT Truckload Volume Index measures monthly changes in loads with a pickup date during that month. 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, which tracks rates paid on approximately 3 million loads per month. Benchmark spot rates reflect invoice data for hauls of 250 miles or more, offering a consistent view of truckload demand and trucking spot rate trends across the United States and Canada.

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 1000. 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
904 305-6454
georgia.jablon@dat.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/678e3845-88ac-432f-a5c1-06c47a291f8b

FAQ

Why did DAT report spot truckload rates rise in February 2026 (ROP)?

Spot rates rose primarily because capacity tightened after three winter storms and higher diesel costs. According to DAT Freight & Analytics, storms Fern, Gianna, and Ezra reduced available trucks and pushed spot van and reefer rates higher.

What were the February 2026 spot and contract van rates DAT reported (ROP)?

The national average spot van rate was $2.41/mile and contract van rate $2.52/mile. According to DAT Freight & Analytics, the spot rate rose 9¢ MoM while the contract rate rose 4¢ MoM, narrowing the spread.

How did freight volumes change in February 2026 according to DAT (ROP)?

Daily-average volumes were stable or slightly higher despite shorter month effects. According to DAT Freight & Analytics, Van TVI fell to 210 (-5% MoM) and Reefer TVI to 173 (-7% MoM), but declines were smaller than expected.

What impact did diesel prices have on February 2026 trucking costs per DAT (ROP)?

Diesel averaged $3.71/gal in February and van fuel surcharges rose to $0.41/mile. According to DAT Freight & Analytics, higher pump prices increase carrier cost pressure and influence spot-rate negotiations.

What does the narrowing spot-to-contract van rate spread mean for shippers and carriers (ROP)?

A narrowed spread suggests freight demand and capacity are moving toward balance, reducing arbitrage between spot and contract loads. According to DAT Freight & Analytics, this is the smallest gap since March 2022, signaling tighter market conditions.

How long have spot van and reefer rates been climbing according to DAT (ROP)?

Spot van and reefer rates have climbed since August 2025, marking seven straight monthly increases through February 2026. According to DAT Freight & Analytics, van rose from $2.03/mile in August to $2.41 in February.