Truck Tonnage Sees 7.3% Drop
U.S. truck tonnage fell 7.3% in September from the same month last year, the best year-to-year showing since November 2008, American Trucking Associations said Friday.
ATA’s seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index fell 0.3% in September from August after a 2.1% increase from July to August. August's index was down 7.5% from a year before.
The index fell to a reading of 103.9, with the year 2000 as the base year at 100. The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, was 107.9 in September, up 2% from August.
This month's reading shows that economic recovery will be "moderate and choppy," said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.
“The trucking industry should not be alarmed by the very small decrease in September,” Costello said in a statement.
“We took two steps forward in July and August and this was a miniscule step backward,” he said, adding that while the industry should be prepared for "ups and downs" in the coming months, the general trend will be moderate improvement.
ATA calculates the tonnage each month based on reports by its member trucking companies.
