Durable Goods Orders Decline but Rise Excluding Transportation Orders

Durable goods fell in January but rose by the most in a year excluding transportation orders, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Overall orders declined 5.2%, the first drop since August, but rose 1.9% excluding orders for items such as aircraft, which tend to be volatile, Bloomberg News reported.

It was the fifth monthly increase for durable orders excluding transportation items and this month’s gain was the biggest since December 2011, Bloomberg said.

Durable goods include large items, such as refrigerators and air conditioners. Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling both components and finished goods.