ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. for-hire truck tonnage slid 0.8% in September, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
“Truck freight slowed at the end of the third quarter,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. “As anticipated, the year-over-year gains have slowed on strength a year earlier, but there is no doubt that freight softened in August and September. Despite the decreases late in the quarter, based on July’s strength, third quarter tonnage rose 0.1% from the second quarter and 5.2% from the same period in 2017.”
August tonnage was revised down to -2% from the initially reported -1.8%, when compared to July.
Compared to September 2017, the ATA truck tonnage index was up 2.9%. Year to date, tonnage is up 7% this year compared to the same period in 2017.
Some U.S trucking companies are saying that to pay 60 cents U.S. per miles can only go down another 5 percent. They are saying that they can not compete with other government jobs or oil fields.