The short answer

Market-rate tools tell you what similar freight has been doing in a lane. Your quote prices one specific truck, date, shipment and service requirement.

What a load-board rate actually is

DAT says RateView market rates are built from contributed transportation invoices and validated transaction data.

DAT also explains that its tools can use different time windows and exclude outliers to create a market range.

That means the number represents a set of transactions, not one guaranteed carrier offer.

The time window matters

DAT's methodology says RateView can calculate rates from recent short windows through longer historical averages.

DAT also notes that some load-board views use longer recent averages, while tighter time windows are more useful for transactional pricing.

A market can move faster than a long-window average.

Fuel treatment matters

DAT says its contributed linehaul rates are separated from fuel in RateView methodology.

Its weekly market reports also label many reported rates as linehaul only, excluding fuel and surcharges.

If the rate you are looking at excludes fuel and your freight quote is all-in, they are not the same number.

Shipment profile matters

A market average does not know that your shipment has a strict appointment, multiple stops, remote pickup, hard delivery deadline, special equipment, unusual dimensions or a same-day recovery problem.

DAT's methodology explains that unusual shipment characteristics can sit outside the middle market range.

Do not assume

  • The market average is a live carrier offer.
  • The displayed rate includes fuel.
  • The average was calculated from today's exact truck supply.
  • Your shipment matches the average shipment behind the data.

What to have ready

  • Data source — DAT, another load board or public index.
  • Time window — Know whether you are looking at days, weeks or months.
  • Fuel basis — Linehaul-only or all-in.
  • Equipment — Van, reefer and flatbed are different markets.
  • Exact lane — Market regions can differ from exact pickup and delivery points.

Sources

Want to compare the market number with the real quote?

Send us the rate source, lane, date, equipment and shipment details and we will show you what is different.

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