Back to January 2026 Industry Update
January 2026 Industry Update: Dry Van
DAT National Average Dry Van Spot Rate excl. FSC
Key Points
- Average dry van linehaul spot rates surged by nearly $0.24 MoM in December, reaching their highest level in more than two and a half years and standing 8.6% above December 2024 levels, as well as 3.1% above the long-term average.
DAT National Average Dry Van RPM Contract vs. Spot
Key Points
- Dry van average contract rates, excluding fuel, increased by $0.05 MoM in December, lifting YoY comparisons to 3.0% above 2024 levels. The strong contract rate gains, coupled with elevated spot pricing, narrowed the spot-to-contract spread to just $0.18.
DAT Dry Van Load-to-Truck Ratio
Key Points
- The dry van load-to-truck ratio surged to 9.02 in December, marking its second-highest level of the past decade. This reading trails only the 9.39 recorded in January 2022 at the peak of the current truckload cycle.
DAT Dry Van Outbound Market Conditions Map, past 30 Days
