The trucking sector is nearing balance as freight demand rises and capacity tightens, according to ACT Research Co.'s latest indices. Story by Connor D. Wolf.   

Although U.S. gasoline usage appears to be exceeding year-ago levels as cheaper prices at the pump encourage households to hit the road, cracks have started to emerge in the world’s biggest economy.

U.S. factory output rose in October by less than expected after downward revisions to prior months, suggesting manufacturing is losing some steam as domestic and global demand moderates.

Unprecedented diesel prices mean that demand destruction for the fuel is probable, the International Energy Agency said.

Texas Instruments Inc., whose chips go into everything from home appliances to missiles, gave a weak sales forecast for the current quarter, indicating that the falloff in semiconductor demand is spreading beyond computing and phones.

The U.S. economy grew at a modest to moderate pace through mid-November while price hikes were widespread amid supply chain disruptions and labor shortages, the Federal Reserve said.

Economic indicators suggest the trucking industry could be poised for growth in 2021, after the coronavirus pandemic caused a topsy-turvy year in 2020 marked by unpredictable demand and continued uncertainty in the driver pool.

The concerns around the demand for Tesla Inc.’s cars are resurfacing as the second quarter nears a close, with Goldman Sachs analyst David Tamberrino saying volume estimates for the second half of the year and beyond appear to be high, considering there are now fewer “levers to pull to stoke demand going forward.”

U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks fell 6.1% in May, but still topped 16,000 units for the highest volume of 2017 as sales started to align with the improvement that orders and production have shown this year, experts said.