DAT Freight & Analytics

Produce season is rotating regions again🚛🥬🍒

📉 Florida's produce season is winding down
🍒 Yakima is tightening as cherry season ramps up
🥬 California has reset and is taking center stage for summer produce

Regional produce flows continue to reshape re**er market conditions.

What signals are you watching as produce season moves across markets? 👉 https://bit.ly/4a8PGj9

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Re**er Report: Florida's done. Yakima's tightening. California just reset. - DAT Freight & Analytics - Blog The produce freight market is quietly unwinding. Florida — the season’s dominant story for weeks — continues its rapid descent,

Farm machinery sales are slowing, and flatbed carriers are paying attention🚜

Why does it matter?
📉 Lower equipment sales can mean fewer machinery shipments
🌾 Agricultural demand is an important part of the flatbed market
🚚 Changes in farm equipment activity can offer an early signal for freight demand

While other sectors may help offset the impact, agriculture remains a market worth watching. Could slowing farm machinery sales signal headwinds for flatbed demand? 👉 https://bit.ly/3SNHX43

Flatbed Demand Report: Farm machinery sales signal flatbed headwinds ahead - DAT Freight & Analytics - Blog The April 2026 AEM Farm Equipment Flash report delivered a mixed picture for agricultural machinery demand — and a cautionary signal for flatbed carriers

Freight volumes fell in May. Spot rates went up anyway.

DAT's May Truckload Volume Index is out. Roadcheck, Memorial Day, and ongoing driver attrition all pulled trucks off the market at the same time, and carriers felt it in their rates.

Full data here 👉 https://bit.ly/4evAzli

The clock is ticking.

Flatbed linehaul (rate minus fuel) hit $2.94/mile in Week 24, a new all-time record and the 13th consecutive week of gains, up 25% over that stretch and 38% above last year. Dry van is holding at a record for this week of the year at $2.37/mile minus fuel, 42% above last year, even after a modest post-Roadcheck pullback. Meanwhile, Florida's produce surge is correcting and the action is shifting north to Yakima, where cherry season is quietly pushing Northeast-bound rates up 6-8%. With Independence Day approaching and re**er equipment posts already 47% below historical norms, the market has little slack to absorb a demand spike.

What does your capacity position look like heading into the July 4th stretch?

Strawberry season is keeping Northern California re**er carriers busy🍓🚛

An early harvest and strong production out of Salinas and Watsonville are creating steady demand for temperature-controlled freight.

🍓 California is on track to produce 90% of U.S. strawberries this year
📦 Strong harvest activity across key growing regions
🚛 Time-sensitive shipments keeping trucks in demand
📈 Re**er spot rates running 30-35% higher than last season

For re**er carriers, Northern California is the market to watch this week.

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What’s shaping the freight market this week?👀

Dean breaks down:
📊 Key freight trends
🚛 Spot rate snapshots
🔮 A 35-day Ratecast outlook
🤝 Contract market insights

Take a look 👉 https://bit.ly/4fGWNmy

DAT iQ Market Update w/ Dean Croke: Ep. 23 Welcome to DAT iQ Live, DAT's weekly freight market podcast hosted ...

U.S. manufacturing activity just reached a four-year high🏭🚚

What could that mean for freight demand?
📈 Factory activity continues to gain momentum
📦 Manufacturing remains a key driver of freight demand
🚛 Carriers are watching for signs that stronger industrial activity translates to more freight movement

Could stronger manufacturing activity be an early indicator of what's ahead for freight? 👉 https://bit.ly/4ok0As6

Dry Van Report: Manufacturing hits a 4-year high. Here's what it means for freight demand - DAT Freight & Analytics - Blog U.S. manufacturing just posted its strongest reading since May 2022. The ISM Manufacturing PMI came in at 54.0% in May

Yakima is one of the few re**er markets moving in the right direction right now🚛🍒

As summer produce season ramps up:
📈 Yakima rates are gaining momentum
🍒 Cherry season is driving activity
🚚 Capacity is tightening as freight demand increases

While many re**er markets remain under pressure, Yakima is showing signs of seasonal strength.

Is Yakima an early indicator of what's ahead for other produce markets? 👉 https://bit.ly/4gcgvGT

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Re**er Report: Yakima is the only market moving up right now - DAT Freight & Analytics - Blog Find loads and trucks fast with full access to the trusted DAT Network. Freight matching designed for shippers, brokers and carriers.

The freight industry’s transition to alternative powertrains is firmly in the “messy middle”⚡

This week, Chris Caplice is joined by Mike Roeth, Executive Director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, to unpack what that actually means for carriers, shippers, and the broader supply chain.

Mike has been leading NACFE since its early days and brings insights from years of work plus the latest “Run on Less” demonstration and cost analysis on how fleets are navigating this evolving landscape.

In this conversation, they cover:
🔋 Why diesel, BEV, hydrogen, natural gas, and biodiesel will continue to coexist
🚛 Where battery electric vehicles are gaining traction first (regional + drayage)
📊 What NACFE’s latest “Run on Less” data reveals about real-world adoption
⚖️ Why there is no single “winner” in the near-term transition
🧭 How carriers and shippers can make practical decisions amid uncertainty

If you are trying to make sense of where freight energy is headed next, this one is worth a listen👀 https://bit.ly/42HyzRg