Fed ‘Beige Book’ Notes Mixed Trucking Activity

A report from the Federal Reserve’s regional banks suggested that economic activity continued to expand, although trucking’s outlook varied by region.

Overall economic activity rose from September into October, but that the pace of growth decelerated since August, the Fed said in its latest “beige book” report, released Wednesday.

Most Districts report worker shortages in a variety of occupations, including truckers, the report said. It described demand for trucking and shipping services as “stable” in the Cleveland district, while in the Chicago region, “rail and truck transport has been slow when available.”

Contacts in the Atlanta region noted that weaknesses in housing and vehicle sales had negatively affected rail and truck tonnages.

The Fed releases the beige book report eight times a year. Wednesday’s report was based on information collected from Aug. 27 through Oct. 5.