January Truck Tonnage Falls 10.8%
Truck tonnage fell 10.8% in January from the same month last year, but rose 3% from the prior month, American Trucking Associations said Friday.
The decline in the group’s for-hire seasonally adjusted truck tonnage index marked the fourth straight year-over-year decline, following 11 straight increases.
The tonnage index gained 3% from December’s level, marking only the second month-to-month increase in the last seven months, ATA said. The index was the second-lowest of any month since October 2002.
“Tonnage will not fall every month, and just because it rises every now and then doesn’t mean the economy is on the mend,” cautioned ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. He predicted that any sustained recovery in truck tonnage is likely months away.
ATA calculates the tonnage each month based on reports by its member trucking companies.
