PORTLAND, Ore.-- Dry van freight rates declined 2.1 percent on the spot market in the seven days ending July 20, compared to the previous week, according to TransCore's Truckload Rate Index. Dropping van rates from major Southeast markets, including Atlanta and Charlotte, impacted the decline, although van rates are expected to pick up in late summer with the back to school season.

Refrigerated ("reefer") van and flatbed spot market rates remain stable down 0.5 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively, week-over-week.

Capacity for all equipment categories rebounded. As a result, TransCore saw the load-to-truck ratio, a key indicator of demand and truckload capacity on the company’s DAT Network of load boards, dip early in the third quarter. Overall load volume is expected to increase in the back-to-school run-up.

A more detailed report can be found on TransCore Trendlines, published weekly with spot market and contract market rates, and other key indicators from TransCore's U.S. Freight Index. It is based on more than 60 million loads and trucks posted annually on the DAT Network of load boards by freight brokers, 3PLs, shippers and carriers across the U.S. TransCore Trendlines also includes industry data from the American Trucking Associations and the U.S. Department of Energy.