TransCore reported that although freight volumes on the spot market continued setting monthly records, truck capacity surged as well. October freight availability was 74 percent above 2009 numbers, marking the third consecutive month of record-setting volume. Despite this, October's month-end numbers on TransCore's 3sixty load boards showed a 20-percent surge in truck capacity, compared to September, alongside a 7.6-percent uptick in demand.
As capacity constraints eased, spot market rates also began to recede, led by the refrigerated ("reefer") segment. TransCore's Truckload Rate Index showed the 30-day rolling average reefer rate slipping below $1.50 on the spot market for the first time since May.
These trends are expected to reverse by the end of the year, as most industry analysts predict capacity constraints and rate hikes in 2011. Tougher emission controls and safety regulations are expected to sideline trucks and drivers in the coming months, increasing bottom-line costs for most fleets.
