New orders for trucks and trailers continue to remain high — another reflection of the exceptionally high demand for truck capacity in North American freight markets. Class 8 orders in April of this year were 689 percent higher than in April 2020. It’s unclear at this time when truck and equipment manufacturers will be able to catch up with demand for new trucks and trailers, as COVID-19 continues to disrupt supply chains.
In this Friday edition of Trucker Tools’ “Where’s the Freight?,” you’ll see that demand for trucks is expected to shift in some key markets in the South and Southwestern United States. For the first time in many months, Tucson, Ariz., does not appear in our top five hottest market list. The Texarkana, Texas, reefer market also cracks our top five for the first time, while demand for flatbed to/from Texarkana is projected to remain sky-high. Demand and rates for reefer and flatbed capacity will continue to be higher than normal in the coming week, while demand for power only and dry van capacity has cooled in many markets.
Scroll down to find out where else demand and rates are likely to be highest and lowest in the coming week!
Markets Where Demand for Trucks Is High or Rising
- Texarkana, Texas, Rapid City, S.D., and Allentown, Pa., will be the markets with the highest demand for flatbed over the next week. Look for demand for flatbed capacity to rise this week in and out of Portland, Ore., and Buffalo, N.Y.
- Flagstaff, Ariz., and Texarkana, Texas, are projected to be the hottest reefer markets in North America over the next five to seven days. Reefer demand to/from Tucson, Ariz., is expected to increase in the coming week.
- You can expect demand for power only capacity to rise this week for Denver.
- Demand for dry van is expected in increase this week to/from Dodge City, Kan.
Markets Where Demand for Trucks Is Low or Falling
- You may want to avoid flatbed loads to/from Brooklyn, N.Y., Duluth, Minn., and Rochester, N.Y., this week, as flatbed demand/rates in these markets is projected to be extremely low this week.
- Calgary, Alberta, and Minot, N.D., are expected to be the least profitable dry van markets for truckers and carriers in North America over the next five to seven days.
Trucker Tools’ Market Insights
- Based on today’s Trucker Tools’ data, the five hottest markets for truckers and carriers in the coming week will be: 1. Texarkana, Texas (flatbed), 2. Rapid City, S.D. (flatbed), 3. Allentown, Pa. (flatbed), 4. Texarkana, Texas (reefer), and 5. Flagstaff, Ariz. (reefer).
- The five coldest markets for truckers and carriers over the next five to seven days will be: 1. Brooklyn, N.Y. (flatbed), 2. Duluth, Minn. (flatbed), 3. Calgary, Alberta (dry van), 4. Rochester, N.Y. (flatbed), and 5. Minot, N.D. (dry van).
- This week’s hottest market, Texarkana’s flatbed market, is projected to hit 49 on Trucker Tools’ market index scale, while the coldest market in North America, Brooklyn’s flatbed market, is projected to only score .074 on Trucker Tools’ market index scale.
- For the first time in several months, Tucson’s reefer market has fallen out of our top five hottest markets list, with Flagstaff taking its place, projected to be the hottest reefer market in North America in the next week.
- Demand for flatbed capacity to/from Allentown, Pa., currently is seven times higher than it was at this time last year.
Looking for more insights into hot and cold markets? Read Wednesday’s report, Where’s the Freight? Expect High Demand for Trucks This Week for Denver, Texarkana, Rapid City, Southwestern Ontario and Tucson. To download the Trucker Tools app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.
