Truck tonnage: on an upswing?

Jan. 28, 2008

Truck tonnage increased 4.1% in December after a much more modest jump in November, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

The December increase was the largest month-to-month gain since a 6.2% increase in December 2006.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the final two months of the year were "surprisingly good given the current economic environment, the financial crisis, credit crunch and weak housing market.

“Both the month-to-month and year-over-year increases were very encouraging. However, the supply chain has changed during the fall freight season, leading to better Novembers and Decembers than in the past, so we shouldn’t read too much into the recent data at this point.”