Fuel is at $3.544 per gallon, reflecting a decrease of over six cents from the previous week. The average price in Illinois and the Midwest region is slightly higher.

The domestic truck market is tightening as the year ends, with load activity up and truck posts down, driving the load-to-truck ratio to its strongest levels since May 2025, pushing spot rates up significantly week-over-week (Dec 15-21) for all major equipment types (Van, Reefer, Flatbed) due to holiday demand and reduced capacity, though a longer-term freight recession still lingers.

Reefer:

• Reefer spot rates are Around $2.00 – $2.60/mile, depending on the source and specific date, with some reports showing national averages around $2.05/mile recently.
• The U.S. reefer (refrigerated) truck market this week (late December 2025) shows seasonal patterns with strong demand in Southern Texas (produce), balanced but tight capacity in the West (CA/AZ), and stable but softening conditions in the Midwest/Northeast.
• Regional tightness, particularly in South Texas due to produce imports and border activity; overall capacity remains tighter than the recent past.
• The reefer load-to-truck Ratio is increasing 17.0% week-over-week (WoW) to around 9.0+, driven by a sharp drop in available reefers (down 7.1% WoW) and modest load growth, indicating tighter capacity and increased demand in a typical late-year market shift.

Van:

• As of late December 2025, dry van spot rates are seeing upward pressure from winter storms and holiday demand, with reports showing recent increases (around 11 cents in one week). with rates averaging around the $2.20-$2.30 range in some regions.
• While rates are up, the market remains oversupplied, and these seasonal gains aren’t fully supported by underlying demand, which is expected to remain soft into 2026.
• overall economic caution and tariff uncertainty temper long-term optimism for significant growth, keeping carriers defensive.
• Storms have disrupted freight, tightening capacity.
• Load-to-truck ratio: The rise in loads, coupled with potentially fewer trucks (as drivers take time off), tightened the market. market signals suggest a tightening, high-demand environment. Earlier in December (Week 49), DAT reported load posts were up 15.2% week-over-week, driving a rising ratio, showing strong seasonal demand for dry vans.

Flatbed:

• As of late December 2025, national flatbed spot rates are hovering around the low to mid-$2 per mile range (e.g., $2.07-$2.54/mile), showing modest increases compared to recent weeks and months.
• A modest upward trend continues, with rates up significantly year-over-year, influenced by big projects and seasonal demand.
• the flatbed market shows mixed signals with modest rate increases driven by construction/manufacturing, but volumes are fluctuating.
• Continued data center build-outs remain a major long-term demand factor for open-deck carriers.
• Load-to-truck ratio: significantly increased by over 20% week-over-week, driven by a surge in flatbed load posts (up 7.9%) and a drop in available truck posts (down 7.1%), signaling tighter capacity and stronger demand across the U.S. spot market.

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.