Truck Tonnage Growth Slows in May

The amount of freight carried by trucks rose for the second straight month in May, but the increase in tonnage leveled off from April’s surge, a report by the American Trucking Associations said Tuesday.

ATA’s adjusted truck tonnage index rose 3.7% in May. That increase however, was a deceleration from the 7.4% rise the index posted in April.

With the increase, the index is now at its highest level since March 2000, the report said.

“Since then, the tonnage index has experienced a high level of volatility that has prevented a sustainable growth trend from developing,” the report said. “However, the long-term trend analysis of the tonnage data has provided encouraging signs given that year-over-year increases are taking place in tandem with increments in other broad indicators, particularly those related to manufacturing activity.”

In a year-over-year comparison, the tonnage index is 3.2 points higher at 151.1 this year than in 2001 when the index was 147.9, the report showed.

The report confirmed that small carriers continued to out perform larger carriers. Small carriers, defined in the report as those hauling less than 100,000 tons, saw their volumes jump 10.3% in May versus a 5.1% rise for larger carriers, ATA said.

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