Business Inventories Fall in August

Business inventories fell 1.5% in August, the largest drop so far this year, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The decline in goods unsold at factories, retailers and wholesalers to a $1.31 trillion level followed a revised 2.2% gain in July.

Sales fell 1.5%, following a 2.2% gain in July. Economists had forecast a 1% downturn in inventories, Bloomberg reported.

When sales are growing, it usually means trucking is seeing additional demand to deliver goods and restock shelves.