Durable Goods Orders Rise 0.3% in July

Durable goods orders rose 0.3% in July, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The increase was well below economists’ forecasts of a 3% gain, Bloomberg reported.

June orders had been reported as a 1% drop.

Excluding transportation equipment orders, which tend to be volatile, orders fell 3.8%, the most since January 2009, Commerce said.

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.