US truck tonnage dips slightly in April, but y-o-y results up 4.3%

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ARLINGTON, Va. — US for-hire truck tonnage fell 0.2% in April, on the heels of a 0.9% gain in March, according to the latest data from the American Trucking Associations.

The seasonally-adjusted index totaled 123.2 in April, compared to 123.5 in March. The highest ever recording was 124.3 in December 2011.

Compared to April 2012, the seasonally-adjusted index was up 4.3%, marking the largest y-o-y gain since January. Year-to-date, compared to the same period in 2012, tonnage is up 4%.

“The slight drop in tonnage during April fit with trends from other industries that drive a significant amount of truck freight, such as manufacturing and housing,” ATA chief economist Bob Costello said, noting that in April, compared with the previous month, factory output slipped 0.4% while housing starts plunged 16.5%.

“After rising significantly late last year and in January of this year, truck tonnage has been bouncing around a narrow, but elevated band over the last three months. It is also worth noting that the year-over-year comparisons are much better than expected just a few months ago and I’m hearing good comments about freight so far in May.”

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