# Flatbed report: Truckload demand continues to move sideways

The most recent release of the for-hire trucking ton-mile and revenue indexes, based on output across 41 freight-generating industries, indicates that June’s seasonally adjusted ton-mile index shows freight demand continues along the bottom of a trough with no signs of a seasonal uptick.

**_Get the clearest, most accurate view of the truckload marketplace with data from DAT iQ._**

**DAT iQ Market Update w/ Dean Croke: Ep. 29**

Seasonally adjusted trucking ton-miles decreased 0.4% in June from May, down 0.7% from June 2023. According to [Professor Jason Miller](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7186695011252502528?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_feedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7186695011252502528%29), a respected supply chain expert at Michigan State University, “The “good” news” is that this is one of the smallest negative seasonally adjusted year-over-year readings since the start of the current freight recession, providing more evidence that we are indeed at a bottom regarding demand.”

Miller said, “The concerning sectors driving the year-over-year weakness are quarrying and oil & gas well drilling, nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, fabricated metal product manufacturing, primary metal manufacturing, furniture manufacturing & wholesaling, lumber & construction supplies wholesaling, metal wholesaling, and machinery wholesaling. The common theme is that all these sectors are interest rate centric regarding demand.”

### Market watch

**_All rates cited below exclude fuel surcharges, and load volume refers to loads moved unless otherwise noted._**

This week, we are focusing on the Birmingham spot market, which is the largest in the Southeast for flatbed carriers. Even though linehaul rates cooled slightly last week to $2.42/mile, the outbound average is $0.02/mile higher than last year, with a 30% increase in the volume of loads moved. On the high-volume lane from Birmingham to Lakeland, FL, flatbed spot rates are $0.18/mile higher than last year, averaging $2.62/mile with an 18% increase in the volume of loads moved. Ratecast predicts that linehaul rates will peak on this lane at $2.68/mile on September 8 before beginning to slowly decline over the winter.

### Load-to-Truck Ratio

Flatbed load post volumes decreased by 5% last week, 7% lower than last year. Carrier equipment posts mainly were flat, resulting in last week’s flatbed load-to-truck ratio decreasing by 4% to 9.96.

### Spot rates

The national load volume increased by 4% last week and last year, while flatbed linehaul rates remained flat at $1.97/mile and almost $0.05/mile higher than last year.