PORTLAND, Ore. -- TransCore’s North American Freight Index showed a 14 percent decline in spot market truckload freight volume for the month of April, compared to March, but a 12 percent increase compared to April 2010. Freight volumes in the South and Midwest were negatively impacted by the extreme weather conditions the regions experienced during April. The month-to-month decline was the first instance in 15 years where spot market freight volume dropped from March to April.

Compared to March, April brought moderation of truckload capacity constraints on the spot market, led by a 6.7 percent increase in capacity and a 9.5 percent decline in freight availability for dry vans. Refrigerated (“reefer”) capacity increased 3.4 percent while freight availability slipped 5.1 percent. However, both flatbed capacity and freight volumes dipped, 2.6 percent, and 9.7 percent, respectively.

TransCore’s monthly North American Freight Index measures trucking freight movements on the spot market, reflecting freight availability on TransCore’s network of load boards in the United States and Canada.