August Truck Tonnage Index Falls 9.5%

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img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>Motor carriers saw freight volumes decline 9.5% in August after rising for several months because of decreased manufacturing levels, low retail sales and the East Coast-Midwest blackout, said American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello.

Despite the declining figure on ATA’s Truck Tonnage Index, he said shipping remained on a recovery path because lean inventories and increased orders for manufactured goods would drive up future volumes.

“August was a bit of a surprise and a bit disappointing, and some events magnified [the decline],” Costello told Transport Topics. “But one month does not make a trend.”

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