How is COVID-19 affecting capacity & freight rates?

COVID-19 has become one of the most disruptive events to hit supply chains in our lifetime. 

Weather-related events, such as hurricanes and snowstorms are often confined to a specific region. And even national hardships, such as the great recession, played out over a number of years. But the novel coronavirus has hit quickly and has disrupted life throughout the world. 



To keep you informed on the effects on supply chains, the DAT Analytics team is publishing regular reports on COVID-19's impact on freight markets, which will be updated every few days. The page includes analysis, frequently asked questions, and tracks these important metrics: 

• Load posts - The number of load posts on DAT load boards measure demand, as brokers post their freight on the spot market. Load posts shot up in March, overtaking 2017, 2018 and 2019 for the same time period. 
• Truck posts - Truck posts measure capacity. When carriers have plenty of freight to haul, they're less likely to post their truck on DAT load board. When things are slow, truck postings rise.
• Load-to-truck ratios - A quick way to gauge current supply and demand conditions is the load-to-truck ratio: the number of load posts vs. truck posts. When load posts exceed truck posts by a certain margin, rates generally rise.
• Freight rates - Rates in 2020 had been fairly tepid compared to previous years, but pricing has been volatile since the crisis began.

NorthAmerican Transportation Association partners with DAT offer a special on the TruckersEdge Load Board to its members. Sign up for TruckersEdge today and get your first 30 days free by signing up here. This offer is available to new TruckersEdge subscribers only. 

Want to hear from the Experts? Meet Sarah Allen from TruckersEdge and listen to hear answers to keep Load Board questions.  Click Here