The state that produces the most Christmas trees in the United States is Oregon in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), thanks to its ideal climate and soil conditions for growing popular Christmas tree species like the Noble Fir, Douglas Fir, and Grand Fir. Oregon harvests over 4.5 to 5 million Christmas trees annually, making it the leading supplier in the U.S., with trees shipped across the country and internationally, with significant exports to Mexico, Japan, the Philippines, and other countries.
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According to the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association (PNCTA), 92% of all Pacific Northwest Christmas trees are exported out of the region. North American destinations for PNW Christmas Trees include California – 45%, Other Western States- 10% (MT, ID, WY, NV, UT, AZ, NM, CO, AK, HI), Gulf States – 9% (OK, TX, AR, LA, TN, MS, AL), Mexico – 16% (23 percent of all Oregon Douglas-fir are shipped to Mexico), and Atlantic States – 4% (MD, DE, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL).
Market watch
All rates cited below exclude fuel surcharges, and load volume refers to loads moved unless otherwise noted.
This week, we focus on the Atlanta market, often called the ‘Gate City.’ Atlanta’s geographic advantages, multimodal transportation infrastructure, and proximity to the Port of Savannah solidify its status as a major freight and logistics hub in the Southeast. At the crossroads of several major transportation routes (I-75, I-85, and I-20), Atlanta is located within a two-day truck drive of 80% of the U.S. population and home to one of the largest rail hubs in the U.S., served by two Class I railroads, Norfolk Southern and CSX.
Atlanta is a perfectly balanced market, with almost the same number of inbound and outbound loads. It is ranked the fifth-largest freight market in the nation, and the Atlanta to Lakeland freight lane consistently ranks highest nationally. Outbound Atlanta reefer volumes are 26% higher than last year and 14% higher on the Lakeland, FL, lane. Reefer spot rates on this lane are $0.13/mile higher than last year, averaging $3.02/mile, the highest in two years.
Load-to-Truck Ratio
Even though reefer load posts dropped almost 50% last week, the volume was still 5% higher than last year’s pre-Thanksgiving short workweek. Reefer capacity tightened as carriers took time off, resulting in a 32% drop in last week’s reefer load-to-truck ratio (LTR), which stands at 4.44. Last year, the reefer LTR was 3.17.
Spot rates
After increasing by $0.09/mile since the start of November in the leadup to Thanksgiving, reefer rates began their seasonal cooling-off period last week, decreasing by a penny-per-mile to a national average of $2.05/mile. Reefer linehaul rates were $0.10/mile higher than last year and $0.07/mile lower than in 2022. Reefer linehaul rates are around $0.05/mile higher than the three-month trailing average.
