Factory Orders Jump 1.7% in June

U.S. factory orders jumped 1.7% in June, led by gains in oil and chemicals, the Commerce Department said Monday.

The improvement followed a revised 0.9% increase in May that was higher than originally reported.

Economists had forecast a 0.7% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Excluding transportation orders, bookings rose 2.3%, Commerce said.

Durable goods orders, which make up about half of factory orders, gained 0.8%.
 
The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.