Durable Goods Fall for Fifth Month

Durable goods orders fell for a fifth straight month in December, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The 2.6% decline followed a revised 3.7% drop in November that was more than twice originally reported.

Excluding transportation orders, bookings for goods meant to last several years fell 3.6%, Commerce said.

Economists had expected orders to fall 2%, and excluding transportation orders to fall by 2.7%, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods include large items such as refrigerators and air conditioners. Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling both components and finished goods.