Retail Sales Rise 0.2% in March

Retail sales rose 0.2% in March, the Commerce Department said Monday.

The increase was led by higher prices for gasoline and followed a 0.4% decline in February. Economists had forecast no change for the month.

Purchases excluding gasoline were unchanged last month, after falling 0.3%, Bloomberg reported. Filling station receipts rose 1.1%, following a 0.5% decline in February.

Excluding automobiles, sales rose 0.1%, in line with forecasts, Bloomberg said.
 
Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.