Factory Orders Improve in July

U.S. factory orders increased 0.1% in July, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The gain followed a revised 0.6% fall in June that was smaller than originally reported.

The increase was smaller than economists’ forecasts of 0.2%, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, rose 0.4%, while non-durables orders such as oil and food were unchanged.

The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.