Trucking activity in the United States increased in December, but overall freight volumes remain low, the American Trucking Associations reported. ATA said the advanced seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index rose 0.4% in December to a reading of 112.9.

“Despite two consecutive gains, tonnage remains at low levels as the freight metric contracted a total of 2.7% in September and October,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Soft manufacturing and construction activity are continuing to suppress freight levels, as they did for much of last year.

The tonnage index increased 0.9% from the same month in 2024, reversing year-over-year decreases in the two previous months. 

For the fourth quarter, the index average fell 1.8% from the third quarter, the largest sequential decline since the second quarter of 2023. Tonnage rose 0.1% in 2025 from the prior year, the first annual gain since 2022.

The not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, was 111.9 in December, 4.3% above November’s reading. The tonnage indexes are dominated by contract freight rather than spot market freight.