DAT Spot Truckload Freight Weekly Report: Load Postings Fell 18% on October 4–10, 2026, While Linehaul Rates Rose

The DAT Spot Truckload Freight Weekly Report showed that load postings fell to 2.7 million for October 4–10, 2026, down 18% from the previous week, while linehaul rates rose for all three equipment types. Average spot rates paid by brokers to carriers, including fuel surcharges, rose 3 cents per mile for dry vans and refrigerated trucks, to $3.12 and $3.68, respectively. Flatbed rates fell 2 cents to $3.68 per mile, mainly due to lower diesel prices. For all three equipment types, the ratio of load postings to truck postings was higher than in the same period last year. Year-over-year, linehaul rates rose 35%, 33%, and 29%, respectively.