Latest on rates: Van jumps while reefer and flatbed hold

Rates for dry van loads in December climbed to their highest monthly average since June, tying that month for the strongest van rates since early fall 2015, according to monthly spot market rate data from Truckstop.com. Reefer and flatbed rates in the month were mostly unchanged from November.

Per-mile rates in all three major truckload segments tumbled from early 2015 through late 2016. Truckstop.com-reported averages in recent months reveal rates have stabilized.

Van’s per-mile average in December, based on verified rates paid to carriers from brokers and shippers, was $1.97 — a 6-cent jump from November and the biggest month-to-month gain the segment has seen in nearly two years. Other than June 2016’s $1.97 a mile average, van rates in December hit their highest mark since since October 2015’s $1.99 average. Van rates in December were up a penny from the same month in 2015:

Flatbed rates in December gained a penny from November. The segment’s December per-mile average was $2.02, down 11 cents from December 2015:

Reefer rates saw no month-to-month change in December. The segment’s $2.02 a mile average was 10 cents lower than December 2015: