Truck tonnage jumps in May: ATA

by Truck News

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 6.5% in May, after a 1.5% decline during April. In May, the index equaled 144.1 (2000=100), up from 135.3 in April.

Compared to May 2016, the SA index increased 4.8%, which was the largest year-over-year gain since November. In April, the index contracted 0.8% on a year-over-year basis. Year-to-date, compared with the same five months in 2016, the index is up 0.9%. For all of 2016, tonnage was up 2.5%. The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 145.3 in May, which was 8.5% above the previous month (134).

“After three straight declines totaling 2.6%, truck tonnage snapped back in May,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. “One month does not make a trend, but the nice gain last month fits more with the anecdotal reports I’ve been hearing from fleets, at least more so than three straight months of decreases….Despite the robust jump in May, I still expect moderate growth going forward as key sectors of the economy continue to improve slowly.’


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*

  • Hours of service made simple.
    Cap the amount of total miles traveled each day.

    Example,

    Driver…
    you can drive 633 miles and have 3 hours of load and unload time… in a 24 hour period. Sleep when you need to.

    I am back in this game after 25 years. The powers that run the show, still tell you when you need rest. Ridiculous.

    Really, its that simple, set a 24 hour mileage cap.

    Best Regards,

    Mr.Tired ….of being told when I’m tired.