Dean Croke

Dean Croke is the Principal Analyst for DAT iQ, the freight data and analytics operation at DAT. He brings 35 years of experience in the fields of data science, supply chain management, logistics, risk management and human performance. For the latest market updates, follow @datfreightteam on Twitter.

Flatbed Report: Industrial demand softens, pulling rates back from July highs

Flatbed spot linehaul averaged $2.87 per mile this week, down 2.7%, or $0.08 per mile, from the prior week.

Dry Van Report: Rates cool off as summer freight demand normalizes

Dry van spot linehaul averaged $2.38 per mile this week, down 2.5%, or $0.06 per mile, from the prior week.

Reefer Report: Capacity floods back, spot rates follow but still tower over last summer

Last week’s post-holiday tightness didn’t just fade — it reversed. Across nearly every district, USDA flipped truck availability a full.

Dry Van Report: Freight demand is back, but it’s coming from an unlikely place

Every carrier, broker, and shipper trying to plan around today’s truckload market has been asking the same question: is this.

Flatbed Report: The AI boom is a freight story, and it’s just getting started

Every conversation about artificial intelligence tends to focus on chips and software, but for carriers and brokers, the real story.

Reefer Report: California’s sudden tightening sends Northeast reefer rates up double digits

California truckload capacity flipped from loose to tight in a single week. Six districts — Imperial/Coachella, Kern, Oxnard, Salinas-Watsonville, Santa.

Flatbed Report: Manufacturing holds its growth streak

Manufacturing kept expanding in June, with the ISM Manufacturing PMI coming in at 53.3%, marking a sixth straight month of.

Dry Van Report: How grilling and produce seasons squeeze reefer and dry van capacity

July isn’t just the heart of summer; it’s National Hot Dog Month and the absolute peak of America’s grilling season.

Produce report: Shortage eases, surplus returns

This week’s report is about reversals. Mexico Crossings through South Texas flipped from Slight Shortage of capacity back to Slight.

Dry Van Report: Freight rate surge masks sluggish demand driven by AI boom

The April trucking ton-mile index reveals that the recent spike in trucking freight rates is almost entirely supply-side driven, rather.

Flatbed Report: Trucking tonnage takes a short-term dip

U.S. trucking activity hit a bit of a speed bump this spring, with the ATA Tonnage Index May 2026 contracting.

Reefer Report: South Texas steps in as Georgia carries the Southeast alone

Florida is officially in the rearview mirror. This week’s report drops Central and South Florida from the availability table entirely.