Business Inventories Take Largest Drop in Five Years

Business inventories fell 0.6% in October, the largest decline in five years, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The decline in goods unsold at factories, retailers and wholesalers followed a revised 0.4% decrease in September. Sales dropped 3.5%, the largest decrease since 1992.

The decline, the biggest since August 2003, was larger than the 0.2% forecast by analysts, 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.