Larry Smith/Trans PixsTruck tonnage rose 4.2% in February from the same month last year, American Trucking Associations said.
February had a reading of 123.6, ATA said in its monthly seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage report, released Tuesday. ATA uses the year 2000 as a 100-reading baseline.
Month-to-month, tonnage rose 0.6% after a revised 1% increase in January that was smaller than the 2.4% gain originally reported.
The not seasonally adjusted index — which represents tonnage actually hauled by fleets — fell 5.5% in February from the previous month to a reading of 120.1.
“Fitting with several other key economic indicators, truck tonnage is up earlier than we anticipated this year,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said.