TORONTO — TransCore's Canadian spot market freight index for June was the second highest month for volume this year.

Compared to May, June freight volume was two percent lower, and six percent lower year-over-year.

The second quarter saw a 20 percent increase over the first quarter of 2012, TransCore noted. This year's second quarter was 6 percent lower than Q2 2011.

Cross-border postings increased two percent over May, and accounted for 75 percent of overall load postings. Intra-Canada postings made up 22 percent of total load volumes.

Equipment postings dropped seven percent from May, but were up five percent year-over-year.

While load volumes recorded a healthy quarter-over-quarter gain, equipment availability only increased a modest four percent, resulting in a much lower equipment-to-loads ratio than the previous quarter, TransCore said. Equipment-to-loads ratio dropped in June, marking the lowest levels in 2012 and the lowest level since June 2011.

Top destinations for loads imported into Canada were:

• Ontario 54 percent
• Quebec 23 percent
• Western 20 percent
• Atlantic 3 percent

Quebec increased 1 percent from May; the remaining regions remained unchanged.

Top Regions for Import Equipment into Canada were:

• Ontario 53 percent
• Western 24 percent
• Quebec 20 percent
• Atlantic 3 percent

Ontario increased 2 percent from the previous month. Western Canada and Quebec had slight decreases.

Regions of Origins for Loads within Canada were:

• Western 44 percent
• Ontario 26 percent
• Quebec 22 percent
• Atlantic 8 percent

Western Canada had a slight decrease month over month. Quebec and Atlantic Canada rose 1 percent.

Top States of Origin Loads into Canada:

• Pennsylvania
• Ohio
• Illinois
• California
• Texas

Top U.S. Destinations for Freight from Canada:

• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• California
• Washington