March Factory Orders Rise 3%

Factory orders rose 3% in March, the fifth straight increase, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The gain followed February’s 0.7% increase that had originally been reported as a 0.1% decline

The reading topped economists’ forecasts of a 2% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, rose 2.9%.

Capital goods orders including excluding aircraft and military orders, a measure of future business investment, rose 4.1%.

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