Business Inventories See Third Straight Month of Decline

Business inventories fell 0.7% in November, the third consecutive month of decline, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The decline in goods unsold at factories, retailers and wholesalers followed a revised 0.6% decrease in October. Sales dropped 2.7%, the sixth consecutive decrease.

The decline was larger than the 0.5% forecast by analysts, 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.