September tonnage down year-over-year, rebounds after August decline

From Transport Topics.

Truck tonnage in September declined a seasonally adjusted 2.7% when compared with year-ago levels, marking the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year declines, American Trucking Associations said Oct. 20. However, when measured month-to-month, the index increased 6.7% after declining 5.3% in August.

In September, the index equaled 115.1 compared with 118.2 the same month a year ago and 107.9 in August. (The index equaled 100 in 2015.)

“September had a nice recovery after a significant decline in August,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said in a statement. “The truck freight market continues to be bifurcated, with strength in retail and home construction, but some continued weakness in industrial freight.”

U.S. home construction continues as one of the bright spots of the economy, rising 1.9% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.42 million homes and apartments, the Commerce Department reported Oct. 20. That follows a 6.7% drop in August, and applications for building permits rose 5.2% to 1.55 million units.

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