Truckload rates rose while freight volumes remained flat, indicating tighter truck capacity, according to DAT Freight & Analytics.
Quiver AI Summary
Truckload rates are increasing faster than freight volumes, indicating tighter truck capacity rather than higher demand, according to DAT Freight & Analytics. The DAT Truckload Volume Index showed a rise in loads across all equipment types in June compared to May, but volumes were generally flat or down compared to the previous year. Spot rates for dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed increased, with flatbed rates reaching an all-time high. In contrast, national average contract rates displayed mixed trends, with a decline in van and refrigerated rates, while flatbed saw a slight increase. The gap between spot and contract rates has narrowed, signaling that carriers are gaining pricing power. Overall, the data suggests significant capacity pressures in the trucking industry, driven by regulatory changes and a shortage of qualified drivers.
Potential Positives
- The national average van truckload spot rate exceeded the contract rate for the first time since February 2022, indicating stronger pricing power for the company.
- Spot linehaul rates increased at least 39% year over year across all equipment types, demonstrating significant rate growth amidst tight capacity.
- Flatbed spot rates hit a new all-time high, reflecting strong demand and capacity pressure in that segment.
- The company has established itself as a reliable source of market trends and data insights, as evidenced by the reliance from various stakeholders in the industry.
Potential Negatives
- Truck capacity is tightening, indicating potential issues with driver availability and regulatory pressures which may impact operations and profitability.
- Spot rates outpacing contract rates may suggest volatility in pricing, creating uncertainty for revenue stability.
- Overall freight volumes are flat to lower despite rising rates, indicating a lack of demand growth that could affect long-term business performance.
FAQ
What factors contributed to the increase in truckload rates in June 2026?
The increase in truckload rates was driven by tightening truck capacity and regulatory changes affecting the supply of qualified truck drivers.
How did the DAT Truckload Volume Index perform in June 2026?
The DAT Truckload Volume Index rose across all three equipment types, indicating higher loads moved compared to May 2026.
What was the trend in spot and contract rates in June 2026?
Spot rates increased significantly, surpassing contract rates for van freight for the first time since February 2022, while contract rates showed mixed results.
Which equipment types saw the highest rate increases year-over-year?
Year-over-year, flatbed freight experienced the largest rate increase, followed closely by refrigerated and van freight in June 2026.
What is the significance of the spot-contract rate gap in June 2026?
The widening gap between spot and contract rates reflects strong pricing power for carriers, indicating real capacity pressure in the trucking market.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$ROP Insider Trading Activity
$ROP insiders have traded $ROP stock on the open market 1 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 1 have been purchases and 0 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $ROP stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- THOMAS PATRICK JR JOYCE purchased 1,400 shares for an estimated $501,844
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$ROP Revenue
$ROP had revenues of $2.1B in Q1 2026. This is an increase of 11.29% from the same period in the prior year.
You can track ROP financials on Quiver Quantitative's ROP stock page.
You can access data on ROP stock through the Quiver Quantitative API.
$ROP Congressional Stock Trading
Members of Congress have traded $ROP stock 7 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 1 have been purchases and 6 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $ROP stock by members of Congress over the last 6 months:
- REPRESENTATIVE GILBERT RAY CISNEROS, JR. has traded it 4 times. They made 1 purchase worth up to $15,000 on 04/14 and 3 sales worth up to $80,000 on 05/15, 03/13, 02/10.
- REPRESENTATIVE JARED MOSKOWITZ has traded it 3 times. They made 0 purchases and 3 sales worth up to $45,000 on 02/27.
To track congressional stock trading, check out Quiver Quantitative's congressional trading dashboard. You can access data on congressional stock trades through the Quiver Quantitative API Congress trades endpoint.
$ROP Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 435 institutional investors add shares of $ROP stock to their portfolio, and 661 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- WINDACRE PARTNERSHIP LLC added 4,401,900 shares (+142.2%) to their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $1,557,656,334
- DODGE & COX added 3,343,694 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $1,183,199,558
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$ROP Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $ROP in the last several months. We have seen 2 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 3 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- Truist Securities issued a "Buy" rating on 01/28/2026
- Barclays issued a "Underweight" rating on 01/28/2026
- Citigroup issued a "Buy" rating on 01/28/2026
- Mizuho issued a "Underperform" rating on 01/28/2026
- JP Morgan issued a "Underweight" rating on 01/28/2026
To track analyst ratings and price targets for $ROP, check out Quiver Quantitative's $ROP forecast page.
$ROP Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $ROP recently. We have seen 11 analysts offer price targets for $ROP in the last 6 months, with a median target of $440.0.
Here are some recent targets:
- Clarke Jeffries from Piper Sandler set a target price of $540.0 on 04/24/2026
- Jon Vruwink from Baird set a target price of $470.0 on 04/24/2026
- Deane Dray from RBC Capital set a target price of $407.0 on 04/24/2026
- Julian Mitchell from Barclays set a target price of $373.0 on 04/24/2026
- Joe Ritchie from Goldman Sachs set a target price of $440.0 on 01/29/2026
- Terry Tillman from Truist Securities set a target price of $550.0 on 01/28/2026
- George Kurosawa from Citigroup set a target price of $450.0 on 01/28/2026
Full Release
PORTLAND, Ore., July 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Truckload rates climbed faster than freight volumes last month, a disparity that points to tighter truck capacity rather than stronger freight demand, according to DAT Freight & Analytics , provider of the industry's leading load boards and freight analytics.
The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which measures loads moved during the month, rose across all three equipment types compared to May:
- Van TVI: 262, up 11% from May but roughly flat compared to June 2025
- Refrigerated TVI: 184, up 5% from May but down 8% from June 2025
-
Flatbed TVI: 308, up 12% from May but down 4% from June 2025
The national average van truckload spot rate exceeded the contract rate in June for the first time since February 2022, and overall rate growth far exceeded volume growth last month. Spot linehaul rates increased at least 39% year over year across all three equipment types, while volumes were flat to lower. Capacity has continued to tighten amid regulatory changes and immigration enforcement, reducing the supply of qualified truck drivers.
Spot rates climb faster than volumes
Dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed spot rates all increased in June, with flatbed spot rates hitting a new all-time high. The gains came even as freight volumes rose more modestly, reinforcing signs of capacity tightening.
- Spot van rate: $3.00 per mile, up 11 cents from May
- Spot reefer rate: $3.39 per mile, up 4 cents from May
-
Spot flatbed rate: $3.69 per mile, up 4 cents from May to an all-time high
Linehaul rates, which remove an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge, increased substantially:
- Van linehaul rate: $2.37 per mile, up 21 cents from May
- Reefer linehaul rate: $2.70 per mile, up 14 cents from May
-
Flatbed linehaul rate: $2.94 per mile, up 16 cents from May to an all-time high
Year over year, the national average van linehaul rate was up 74 cents in June, reefer was up 76 cents, and flatbed was up 84 cents. Rates increased 45% for van freight, 39% for refrigerated, and 40% for flatbed, the largest year-over-year percentage increases in linehaul rates since June 2021 for vans and since July 2021 for reefers and flatbeds.
Contract rates lag spot
National average contract rates were mixed in June. All-in pricing slipped for van and refrigerated freight as lower fuel surcharges offset gains in linehaul rates, while flatbed edged higher:
- Contract van rate: $2.89 per mile, down 3 cents from May
- Contract reefer rate: $3.22 per mile, down 6 cents from May
-
Contract flatbed rate: $3.80 per mile, up 3 cents from May
The national average contract linehaul rate increased across all three equipment types: van rose 7 cents to $2.26 per mile, reefer increased 4 cents to $2.53, and flatbed climbed 15 cents to $3.05.
Year over year, the national average contract rate was up 49 cents for van freight, 48 cents for reefer, and 71 cents for flatbed.
Spot-contract gap widens
The national average van spot rate moved above contract for the first time since February 2022, and the reefer spot-contract gap widened to 17 cents from 7 cents in May. Flatbed remains the exception, with contract linehaul rates still above spot. That spread has closed to 11 cents in June from 52 cents a year ago.
“The difference between spot and contract rates has narrowed steadily for more than a year, and carriers are gaining pricing power across the board,” said Dean Croke, DAT industry analyst. “Van spot beating contract for the first time in four years, and flatbed hitting an all-time high in the same month, shows real capacity pressure. If demand were driving this, volumes would be climbing too, and they’re not.”
About the DAT Truckload Volume Index
The DAT Truckload Volume Index measures monthly changes in loads with a pickup date during that month for hauls of 250 miles or more in the United States and Canada. A baseline of 100 equals the number of loads moved in January 2015, based on data from DAT RateView, part of the DAT iQ freight analytics platform. Rates are derived from invoice data submitted by shippers, brokers, and carriers, who provide transaction records directly from their TMS systems. Monthly average spot rates reflect amounts paid by the broker to the carrier. Contract rates are paid by shippers primarily to asset-based carriers and brokers.
About DAT Freight & Analytics
DAT Freight & Analytics operates the DAT One truckload freight marketplace; Convoy Platform, an automated freight-matching technology; DAT iQ analytics service; Trucker Tools load-visibility platform; and Outgo factoring and financial services for truckers. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations, and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights, informed by nearly 700,000 daily load posts and a database exceeding $1 trillion in freight market transactions.
Founded in 1978, DAT is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 500. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, DAT continues to set the standard for innovation in the trucking and logistics industry. Visit dat.com for more information.
Contact:
Georgia Jablon
DAT Freight & Analytics
[email protected]
904-305-6454
Stephen Petit
SiefkesPetit Communications
425-443-8976
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ce8e6700-4c43-431c-8a56-8c7cf355ee75
