Week 39 spot rates: van $3.01, reefer $3.63, flatbed $3.60 — fuel did all the work

All-in spot rates climbed across the board in the week of September 20–26 — but every cent of the gain came from fuel, according to DAT Freight & Analytics data. The 7-day average broker-to-carrier rates: dry van $3.01 per mile (up 5 cents), reefer $3.63 (up 4 cents), and flatbed $3.60 (up 5 cents).

The linehaul numbers tell the real story: dry van linehaul held flat at $2.17, while reefer linehaul fell 2 cents to $2.71 and flatbed eased 1 cent to $2.59. The fuel surcharge did all the lifting — DAT analyst Dean Croke notes the national average diesel price used in the surcharge rose 31.8 cents a gallon, adding about 5 cents a mile to the average dry van surcharge and 6 cents to reefer and flatbed. And surcharges are still catching up: the report's surcharge used EIA's $6.285-a-gallon reading from the week ending September 14, while the $6.529 reading for the week ending September 21 — the highest weekly diesel price in EIA's records going back to 2007 — hits surcharges in next week's report.

Capacity kept thinning: DAT One load posts totaled 2.9 million (down 1% for the week) while truck posts fell 4% to 176,451, down across all three equipment types and running 26%, 20%, and 21% below a year ago for van, reefer, and flatbed. Load-to-truck ratios rose to 11.4 for van and 41.4 for flatbed — the tightest of the three — while reefer held at 18.3. Linehaul rates remain far above last year: van up 32%, reefer 36%, flatbed 28%. DAT's 35-day RateCast forecast puts late-October linehaul at $2.14 for van, $2.69 for reefer, and $2.56 for flatbed.

Why it matters

Your all-in rate is rising, but your actual linehaul pay is flat or falling — the surcharge is masking the real market. If you negotiate, negotiate on linehaul, not the all-in number. And brace for another surcharge jump next week when the record $6.529 diesel reading flows through.

Source: AJOT (reporting DAT Freight & Analytics data), Sept. 28, 2026.
Image: AI-generated illustration