Durable Goods Orders Fall 2.5%

Durable goods orders declined 2.5% in June, but orders excluding transportation equipment increased 1.1%, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The decrease was larger than economists’ forecasts of 0.6%, Bloomberg reported. May’s gain was originally reported as 1.8% and revised to 1.3%.

Excluding transportation orders, bookings for goods meant to last several years rose 1.1%, following a 0.8% rise last month.

Automobile orders fell 1% after a 8.7% drop in May.

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.