Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Trucking index shows possible economic recovery slowdown

May and June reports from the American Trucking Associations’ provide some unfortunate evidence that a national economic recovery is slowing.

The for-hire truck tonnage index in June dipped 1.4%, and the May index decline was revised up from 0.6% to just 0.1%. However, the ATA said May and June marked the first back-to-back contractions since March and April 2009. The latest reduction lowered the SA index from 110.1 (2000=100) in May to 108.5 in June.

According to the ATA, trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing nearly 68% of tonnage carried in 2008 by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled 8.8 billion tons of freight in 2009. Motor carriers collected $544.4 billion, or 81.9% of total revenue earned by all transport modes. Full Story.....

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