Dry Van Rates Rise 34.5%

DAT Freight & Analytics reports that dry van spot market rates remain much higher than a year ago.

For the week ending October 17, 2026, the national average dry van linehaul rate was $2.26 per mile, excluding fuel.

That is 34.5% higher than the same period last year. However, rates were nearly unchanged from the previous week.

The number of posted loads fell 6%, while the dry van load-to-truck ratio decreased from 10.27 to 9.70.

This suggests that competition for available freight increased slightly during the week.

!What This Means for CDL Drivers

For owner-operators and small trucking companies, higher rates can mean better revenue per loaded mile.

However, fewer available loads may make finding the next shipment more difficult.

These figures represent carrier freight rates, not driver wages.