August Tonnage Rises 0.9%

American Trucking Associations’ August for-hire truck tonnage index rose 0.9% from a year ago but dipped 0.8% from July, ATA said Tuesday.

The downturn followed July’s 3.7% year-over-year decline, ATA said.

The index’s reading was 110, and the August year-to-year rise was the first since March. Year to date, the index is down 2.2% compared with last year.

The not seasonally adjusted index jumped 8.2% from July, to 120.1, ATA said.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the reading points to continued trucking industry softness — specifically related to the weight of goods shipped and to the slow start of the 2007 fall freight season.

Truck freight is expected to be lackluster during the 2007 fall freight season, which traditionally starts in mid- to late August and peaks in October, he said in a statement.

ATA calculates the tonnage each month based on reports by its member trucking companies.