Freight Haulers Optimistic Despite Uneven Demand

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

lthough carrier executives said they were optimistic about prospects for 2004, reports showed that demand for freight-hauling was still weak and unsteady as the new year began.

Both truck tonnage and air cargo volume declined in November, while rail freight figures showed mild growth in December for some cargo hauls related to the manufacturing sector.

“The wild swings in truck tonnage continued in November, making for a highly volatile and uneven recovery for the industry,” said American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello.

Tonn Ostergard, president of Crete Carrier Corp., told Transport Topics last week that after a “reasonably good December,” the truckload carrier was experiencing “a small post-holiday slump.”

This article appears in the Jan. 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.