Flatbed Rates

Flatbed Truckload (TL) Sector – March 2025

Flatbed rates in February 2025 reflect persistent volatility influenced by pre-tariff shipping, mixed industrial performance, and seasonal trends. Below is the latest analysis of spot and contract flatbed rates.

Spot Market Rates
Flatbed spot rates, net of fuel, decreased by 1¢ month-over-month to $1.95 per mile in February 2025, while maintaining a 1.0% year-over-year increase. This modest rate support is likely tied to pre-tariff inventory movements rather than a true construction season kickoff. Broader industrial sector uncertainty, driven by escalating tariffs and higher costs, is expected to limit upward rate momentum through the first half of the year.

Contract Market Rates
Flatbed contract rates remained flat at $2.57 per mile in February, reflecting a 0.8% year-over-year increase. Despite continued investment in infrastructure, trade-related cost pressures and softening industrial demand are tempering growth. Contract rate stability is likely to persist in the near term, though downside risks may increase if construction and manufacturing activity slow further under tariff and interest rate headwinds.

To see how flatbed rates change in the future, and for detailed analysis and forecasts or truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal, see ACT's freight & transportation forecast.