July Tonnage Index Falls; ATA Lowers ’05 Growth Outlook

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verall for-hire trucking freight volumes fell 0.6% in July from June on a seasonally adjusted basis and American Trucking Associations lowered its projected 2005 tonnage growth outlook for the industry, ATA said Friday.

The 114.3 level was 05% higher than a year earlier, ATA said. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, ATA’s truck tonnage index fell 8.2% from June.

For the first half of the year, the TTI was 2.7% higher than the same period last year, but was below ATA’s 3% to 3.5% forecast, which ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello has now lowered for the year.

“Due to tough upcoming year-over-year comparisons from extremely strong growth in the second half of 2004, as well as modest growth in truck-tonnage weighted manufacturing production, I’m lowering our growth projection for 2005 to the 2.25% to 2.75% range,” Costello said.

ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership. The index compares activity to a 1993 base year and is derived by sampling companies in all types of freight-hauling operations.