Fuel Updates

Fuel is at $3.766 for the week, which is up from $3.734 the previous week.

The first half of hurricane season has had little impact on the freight market. However, September is historically the peak month for hurricanes, and the market tends to be affected in two (2) key ways:

• Before a storm: Shippers rush to clear docks, while carriers avoid moving standard loads into at-risk areas.
• After a storm: The market first sees an influx of dry van and reefer shipments carrying essential goods, followed by flatbed shipments of equipment and construction materials—often accompanied by surging rates.

Reefer Freight:

• Spot rates are at $0.07 per mile, which is higher than it has been the last two (2) years.
• Volumes have had a predictable 26% decline after the Labor Day surge, which is primarily due to a 12% drop in the national truckload volume of fruits and vegetables.
• The load-to-truck ratio is down nearly 20%.

Van Freight:

• Linehaul spot rates increased by $0.01 per mile.
• Load posts have seen a significant decrease. They are down 17% week over week.
• The load-to-truck ratio saw a slight decrease of 0.1%.

Flatbed Freight:

• The spot rate gap between this year and last continues to widen. It now stands at $0.10 per mile, which is higher than last year.
• Load post volumes are holding steady for the fifth straight week. They are up 23% year over year.
• The load-to-truck ratio is up 4%.

We hope you have a fantastic week! If you need any assistance or have any questions, please reach out to your RIM Representative or to our Domestic Team at RIMDomestic@rimlogistics.com.