Business Inventories Rise More Than Forecast

Business inventories rose 0.8% in August, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The increase in goods unsold at factories, retailers and wholesalers followed a revised 1.5% increase in July. Sales dropped 1%, compared with a 0.5% gain the month before.

The inventory gain was twice has high as analysts’ forecasts of a 0.4% increase, Bloomberg reported.

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

Higher inventories mean goods are not being sold at a rapid pace, which could lower demand for trucking services.