Business Inventories Rise 0.1%

Business inventories rose 0.1% in October, while sales jumped 0.7% for second straight month, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The uptick of goods unsold at factories, retailers and wholesalers was the smallest since March. Analysts had forecast a 0.3% gain, Bloomberg reported.

When sales are growing, it usually means trucking is seeing additional demand to deliver goods and restock shelves.

Higher inventories mean goods are not being sold at a rapid pace, which could lower demand for trucking services.