Durable Goods Orders Fall 2.4%

Durable goods orders dropped 2.4% in August, the worst performance since January, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Excluding transportation equipment orders, which tend to be volatile, orders were little changed.

Economists had forecast that orders would increase 0.4%, Bloomberg reported. Orders fell 4.8% in July.

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.