Business Inventories Rise 0.5%

Business inventories rose 0.5% in August, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The increase followed a revised 0.5% gain in July that was bigger than the 0.4% originally reported.

August inventories, which rose as businesses anticipated faster sales growth, were projected to increase 0.4%, Bloomberg reported.

Sales rose 0.3%.

Auto and parts stockpiles rose 1.5%, the biggest gain in a year.

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