Flatbed trucking rates have surged over the past month as steel and lumber shippers hurry to stockpile inventory amid tariff whiplash threatening to roil their supply chains, experts say.
A six-week increase in rates has led to the highest flatbed pricing to start a year since 2017, according to DAT, as freight repositioning combines with a typical seasonal pickup in construction and other industries.
“Demand usually picks up in March and April as planting, building, construction, machinery imports, and nursery seasons gear up,” DAT Principal Analyst Dean Croke told Trucking Dive in an email. “We’re seeing volumes build up now, with some of that activity driven by uncertainty around tariffs.”
Last week, the average flatbed spot rate went up 4 cents to $2.13 per mile compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, the load-to-truck ratio for flatbed went up to 46.92 from 41.12 loads per truck.
“The tariffs and their effects on flatbed freight are a wildcard,” Croke said. “The timing, the types of freight involved, and the posture of the U.S. are still uncertain for commodities that move on flatbed trailers.”
Shippers have pulled forward cargo imports such as machinery, lumber, metals and oversized flatbed freight to mitigate tariff uncertainty. While it is not record-breaking demand, Croke noted, it is still more than flatbed carriers have seen amid a freight recession.
Expected cost increases from tariffs have led to a rise in steel and lumber orders as companies stockpile ahead, Jerad Dennis, director of pricing and business intelligence at TA Services, told Trucking Dive.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump’s ordered 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports went into effect. Trump has also ordered a broad review of the wood supply chain in the U.S., focusing on lumber, timber and their derivative products.
“We’ve seen a backlog in steel orders as buyers rushed to secure supply before tariffs take effect. This backlog is expected to sustain higher flatbed volumes and rates in the short to mid-term,” Chris Bahr, EVP and CIO at TA Services, said in an email.
Another factor impacting flatbed spot rates is the wave of carrier exits in the industry, Croke said. Since flatbed is a specialized segment where about 30% of loads move on the spot market, the impact from carrier exits affects the flatbed market more than others.
