Truck tonnage is trending in the right direction despite a slight drop last month, says Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
Tonnage rates fell 0.6% in May, the first month-to-month decrease since February 2010, according to ATA records.
However, compared with May 2009, tonnage rates were up 7.2%. "The trend is still solid," says Costello. "There is no way that freight can increase every month and we should expect periodic decreases. This doesn't take away from the fact that freight volumes are quite good, especially considering the reduction in truck supply over the last couple of years."
