Flatbed spot linehaul rates paid to carriers averaged $2.61 per mile last week, minus fuel, up 0.5%, or $0.01 per mile, from the week before. Rates climbed 28.6%, or $0.58 per mile, year over year and held 25.6%, or $0.53 per mile, above the nine-year seasonal average of $2.08 per mile, above the top of the historical range.
All rates cited are linehaul only. They exclude fuel costs and surcharges unless otherwise noted.
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Bellwether states
The flatbed bellwether roster averaged $3.18 per mile, down $0.05 per mile from the week before and up $0.67 per mile, or 26.6%, year over year. The ten states held 51.7% of national flatbed outbound volume.
Regional rate trends
| Flatbed — Top 10 Origins by Outbound Volume · Week Ending October 31, 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Origin Region | Avg RPM | WoW ($/mi) | YoY ($/mi) |
| 1 | South Central | $2.21 | −$0.05 | +$0.32 |
| 2 | Great Lakes | $2.85 | −$0.01 | +$0.75 |
| 3 | Southeast | $2.90 | −$0.07 | +$0.64 |
| 4 | Upper Atlantic | $2.51 | −$0.13 | +$0.58 |
| 5 | Ohio River | $3.24 | +$0.07 | +$0.98 |
| 6 | Carolinas | $2.81 | −$0.13 | +$0.74 |
| 7 | California | $2.25 | +$0.07 | +$0.59 |
| 8 | Florida-So Georgia | $2.22 | −$0.02 | +$0.49 |
| 9 | Lower Mountain | $1.77 | $0.00 | +$0.30 |
| 10 | Lower Midwest | $2.47 | +$0.03 | +$0.48 |
The top 10 flatbed origin regions accounted for 87.7% of outbound loads moved last week. California and Ohio River held up best week over week, each gaining $0.07 per mile, to $2.25 and $3.24 per mile. Carolinas and Upper Atlantic gave back the most, each down $0.13 per mile.
Market conditions
Flatbed’s load-to-truck ratio climbed to 41.73 from 34.93 the week before as load posts rose 7.4% and truck posts fell 10.1%. Against 23.14 a year ago, the board is 80.3% tighter. Flatbed remains the tightest board of the three equipment types, with a ratio 3.8 times dry van’s.
Short-term outlook
The DAT Rate Forecast projects flatbed spot linehaul to ease to $2.60 per mile 35 days out, against $2.61 per mile last week. The Forecast Low is $2.53 per mile and the Forecast High is $2.66 per mile, a spread of $0.13 per mile, the narrowest of the three equipment types. A year ago the market sat near $2.04 per mile, so the projected level holds well above it. The calendar works against flatbed demand late in the window: construction and industrial shipments usually slow around Thanksgiving and as year-end project work winds down, so watch for that to cap any firming.
