TransCore’s North American Freight Index showed a 14% decline in spot market truckload freight volume for April 2011 compared with March, but a 12% increase versus April 2010. Freight volumes in the South and Midwest were negatively impacted by extreme weather conditions the regions experienced during April. The month-to-month decline was the first instance in 15 years where spot market freight volume dropped from March to April.
Compared with March, April brought moderation of truckload capacity constraints on the spot market, led by a 6.7% increase in capacity and a 9.5% decline in freight availability for dry vans. Refrigerated (reefer) capacity rose 3.4% while freight availability slipped 5.1%. However, both flatbed capacity and freight volumes dipped, 2.6% and 9.7%, respectively.