Durable Goods Orders Fall 5.3%

Durable goods orders fell 5.3% in January, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The decline followed a revised 4.4% gain in December that was smaller than originally reported, Commerce said.

Excluding transportation orders, bookings slipped 1.6%.

Economists forecast orders to fall 4%, and by 1.4% excluding transport orders, Bloomberg reported.

Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling both components and finished goods.