The highlights from Thursday’s SONAR reports are below. For more information on SONAR — the fastest freight-forecasting platform in the industry — or to request a demo, click here. Also, be sure to check out the latest SONAR update, TRAC — the freshest spot rate data in the industry.
Market watch
Jacksonville, Florida
Outbound tender volumes in Jacksonville have been more volatile than cryptocurrencies this year, falling 23% in April before soaring 67% over the next eight weeks. Tender volumes since mid-June had bounced around before falling almost 20% off of their highs.
The Outbound Tender Rejection Index for Jacksonville during this period has been as high as 19% and as low as 9%. In the past two weeks, outbound tender rejections in Jacksonville have been around 12% but in recent days have dropped 180 basis points to settle at 10.1%.
Still, Jacksonville remains a surprising headhaul market in 2022, with a Headhaul Index of 25.1.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Eleven hundred miles north, Grand Rapids, Michigan, is seeing a surge in outbound volumes that match its highest point since the start of the summer. The Outbound Tender Volume Index has risen 17.3% week over week. Inbound freight is up 10.5% w/w and 35.1% overall since July Fourth.
An increase in both inbound and outbound volumes has resulted in a steady climb in Grand Rapids’ Headhaul Index, which is now 37.5 — its highest score since late April.
With the increased tender volumes, outbound tender rejections have been in a steady range between 10% and 15% since May and are at 12% today, well above the national average of 6.6%.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City remains one of the stronger headhaul markets in the Midwest. Outbound tender volumes are up 37.8% since the Fourth of July. Meanwhile the Inbound Tender Volume Index has remained stagnant, dropping 0.9% w/w. As outbound volumes strengthen while inbound volumes stand still, the widening imbalance between inbound trucks into Kansas City and outbound freight opportunities has moved Kansas City’s Headhaul Index up 14.7% w/w to 20.8 — the highest it’s been since December.
NTI as a point of reference
The National Truckload Index is a daily look at how spot rates in specific lanes hold up in comparison to the national average, giving carriers and brokers an idea of which lanes to gravitate toward or avoid.
Lane to watch: Memphis, Tennessee to Jacksonville
Outbound load volumes in Memphis have flatlined over the past few weeks. If you’re a carrier and looking for a way out, Florida may not be the first destination that comes to mind, but with the freight market popping in Jacksonville, it might be a good choice. Spot market rates in this lane have a confidence score of 4 and are well above the national average. At $3.45 a mile, it’s paying 63 cents above the national average.
