Factory Orders Rise in September

Factory orders increased 1.7% in September, the Commerce Department reported Nov. 4.

The rise followed a 0.1% decline in August.

The increase was smaller than economists’ forecasts of a 1.8% drop, Bloomberg News reported.

Orders for capital goods excluding military equipment, a measure of future business investment, rose 1.3% following a 0.1% rise the previous month.

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