Truck Tonnage Plunges 3.6% in November, ATA Reports

merican Trucking Associations’ seasonally adjusted truck tonnage index plunged 3.6% in November, following its 1.9% drop in October, ATA said late Wednesday.

The index, which fell to a reading of 106.8, was down 8.8% from a year earlier, marking the largest year-over-year decrease since December 2000.

Year-to-date, the tonnage index was down 2.8% compared with the same period last year. The not seasonally adjusted index fell 9.5% from October, to 106.5.

ecession,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Both the month-to-month and year-over-year decreases indicate that the economic slowdown is in full gear.”

“The most troubling number is the 8.8% contraction from November 2005, despite the fact that year-over-year comparisons are difficult due to the very robust volumes during the same month last year,” Costello said.

“One month certainly doesn’t make a trend, but if we continue to see year-over-year reductions of similar magnitudes in the next couple of months, it could indicate a greater economic slowdown than economists are projecting at this point,” he added.

The tonnage figures released are preliminary and subject to change in the final report, to be issued by about mid-January, ATA said.

ATA’s economics department calculates the monthly index based on surveys of its members.