Durable Goods Orders Fall 1% in November

Durable goods orders fell 1% in November, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

Demand for products such as computers, machinery and defense equipment rose last month while aircraft orders fell, Bloomberg reported.

The decline follows an 8.4% drop in October, the biggest decline in eight years.

Excluding transportation orders, bookings for goods meant to last several years increased 1.2%, Commerce said.

Economists had expected orders to fall 3%, and excluding transportation orders to fall by 3%, 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.