PORTLAND, Ore.-- Truckload freight availability on TransCore’s DAT Network of load boards increased by 12 percent nationwide in the week ending March 5, according to TransCore Trendlines, a weekly barometer for spot market freight trends. This is the largest load volume for a single week since TransCore began reporting weekly levels in January 2008.

Load volumes increased for all equipment types in the week ending March 5, led by a 15 percent increase in freight designated for vans. Conversely, truckload freight capacity declined by 7 percent on the spot market, compared to the previous week, indicating a continued tightening of truckload capacity.

The load-to-truck ratio increased for both dry vans and refrigerated (“reefer”) vans, by 22 percent and 23 percent respectively, compared to the previous week; the ratio for flatbeds increased by 15 percent.

TransCore Trendlines is published weekly, providing load-to-truck ratios, spot market and contract market rates, and other key indicators from TransCore's U.S. Freight Index, the standard spot freight market gauge. Trendlines is based on more than 60 million loads and trucks listed annually on the DAT Network of load boards by freight brokers, 3PLs, shippers and carriers across the United States. TransCore Trendlines also includes industry data from the American Trucking Association and the U.S. Department of Energy.