Flatbed rate per mile benchmarks by commodity 2026

Flatbed spot linehaul averaged $2.65 per mile nationally the week ending Oct. 10, 2026, before fuel, and the commodity on your deck moves that number more than the lane does. Oversize and heavy-haul freight runs $3.50-$10+ per mile in 2026, steel coils $3.25-$4+, machinery $3.00-$4.50, while general flatbed mixed freight trails at $2.50-$2.95. OpenDeck, powered by Load Work, is where those loads post; these are the benchmark numbers to judge every rate against. The per-load side of the deal — how you defend a number on the phone — lives on the flatbed rate negotiation for steel, lumber and machinery loads page.

TL;DR

• National flatbed spot linehaul averaged $2.65/mi the week ending Oct. 10, 2026 (DAT, before fuel).

• Oversize and heavy haul leads 2026 commodity rates at $3.50-$10+ per mile.

• Steel coils run $3.25-$4+ and machinery $3.00-$4.50 per mile.

• Lumber and general freight trail at $2.50-$3.25 per mile.

• Contract rates averaged $3.32/mi in March 2026, above spot.

Flatbed rate per mile benchmarks by commodity, 2026

Commodity	Typical spot range, 2026	What drives the rate	Securement bill
Oversize / heavy haul	$3.50-$10+/mi	Permits, escorts, pilot cars, low volume	Chains, extra axles
Data center construction materials	$3.50-$5+/mi	Project deadlines, job-site windows	Straps, tarps
Steel coils	$3.25-$4+/mi	Weight, chains, insurance exposure	Chains and binders
Machinery / industrial equipment	$3.00-$4.50/mi	Loading skill, step deck or RGN work	Chains, blocking
Structural steel (beams)	$2.85-$3.50/mi	Length, tarp requirement	Straps, dunnage
Pipe and tubing	$2.75-$3.50/mi	Length and load count	Straps, bore pipes
Lumber and building materials	$2.60-$3.25/mi	Volume, tarp labor	Straps, lumber tarps
General flatbed (mixed)	$2.50-$2.95/mi	None — the board's floor	Straps
All flatbed (overall)	$2.65/mi spot, Oct. 10, 2026 (DAT)	—	—

Sources and scope: the overall figure is DAT's national flatbed spot linehaul average for the week ending Oct. 10, 2026, paid to carriers, before fuel surcharge. The commodity ranges are aggregated from 2026 flatbed rate surveys published in March 2026 — a different point in a moving year, not the same week as the DAT figure. Treat both as yardsticks, not lane quotes.

Where the market stood through 2026

Spot rates moved all year. National flatbed spot linehaul crossed $3.00 per mile the week after July 4th before easing back, and it sat at $2.65 the week ending Oct. 10 — still $0.39 per mile above dry van and roughly 15% over the same week a year earlier, per DAT. Contract rates averaged $3.32 per mile in March 2026, which is the point: shippers paid a premium to lock capacity on the equipment that can actually tarp and chain freight.

Regional spread ran wider than the commodity spread some weeks. March 2026 surveys put the Midwest highest at $3.14 per mile and the West lowest at $2.39; late-June data showed the Southeast near $4.05 against the West Coast around $3.23. Same trailer, eighty cents a mile, depending on which side of the map you run.

What wins and what trails

Oversize and heavy haul leads the table at $3.50-$10+ per mile, and the ceiling is real: permitted loads add $1.00-$3.00+ per mile over base, plus escort and permit bills you pass through. The work is scarce on purpose — permits, pilot cars and axle math keep the competition thin. Steel coils and machinery follow because weight and loading skill price into the rate; the flatbed hauling for steel mills and metal fabricators guide shows what that work demands on the deck. Lumber and general mixed freight trail at the bottom because anyone with straps can haul them — the rate is the floor, and tarp labor is the only lever. Oversize freight also carries its own permit budget; the flatbed oversize permit cost benchmarks by state page lists what each state charges before you quote.

How to use these benchmarks before you book

• Judge a load against its commodity row, not the national average. A $2.80 lumber load is a good load; a $2.80 machinery load is $0.50 a mile light.

• Price the whole loop. A $3.50 rate into a market with no reload is worse than $2.90 with a paying outbound — Deadhead Optimizer on OpenDeck sorts return freight by empty miles.

• Add the passes-through: permits, escorts and tarps bill separately or the rate needs to cover them.

• Compare against the week's DAT number, not last year's. The 2026 spread between the $3.00 peak and the $2.65 fall average is more than a full commodity step.

FAQ

What is the average flatbed rate per mile in 2026?

The national flatbed spot linehaul average was $2.65 per mile the week ending Oct. 10, 2026, before fuel, per DAT — about $0.39 above dry van.

What do steel coils pay per mile in 2026?

Steel coils typically run $3.25-$4+ per mile spot in 2026, above the flatbed average because of weight, chains and insurance exposure.

How much does oversize or heavy haul freight pay?

Oversize and heavy haul freight runs $3.50-$10+ per mile in 2026, with permitted loads adding $1.00-$3.00+ per mile over base rates.

What do lumber loads pay per mile?

Lumber and building materials run $2.60-$3.25 per mile spot in 2026, near the bottom of the commodity table.

Are contract flatbed rates higher than spot?

In 2026, yes — contract rates averaged $3.32 per mile in March against a spot market that peaked above $3.00 mid-year and eased to $2.65 by October.

Which region pays the best flatbed rates?

2026 survey data put the Midwest at $3.14 per mile in March and the Southeast near $4.05 in late June, against a West low of $2.39-$3.23 depending on the month.

Set the filters to the commodity you want

Rates follow the freight, and the freight posts daily. On OpenDeck you filter open-deck loads by trailer type, weight and length, set alerts from your home ZIP, and read broker ratings and contact details before you call — Pro and Enterprise plans are listed on the Open Deck pricing page, and signup finishes on Load Work.