Business Inventories Rise 0.8%

Business inventories rose 0.8% in December, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The gain followed a revised 0.4% gain in November that was higher than originally reported.

Economists had predicted a 0.7% increase in business inventories, Bloomberg reported. Wholesale sales rose 1.1%, reaching the highest level since September 2008.

Factory inventories, which make up almost two-fifths of all inventories, rose 1.1%, while wholesale inventories, which make up about 30% of the total, rose 1%.

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