Durable Goods Orders Decline

Durable goods orders dropped in August, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Overall orders for goods meant to last at least three years dropped 13%, the most since January 2009.

Civilian aircraft orders, which tend to be volatile, dropped 102% after rising 51% the prior month.

Bookings for non-defense capital equipment excluding aircraft rose 1.1%, Bloomberg reported.

Economists’ median forecast for overall orders was a 5% drop, Bloomberg said.

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