Durable Goods Orders Grow in January

Durable goods orders rose 2.7% in January, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Orders for capital equipment rose after a 0.4% drop in December, though orders excluding transportation equipment  fell 3.6%, Commerce said.

Analysts had forecast a 2.8% increase in durables orders and a 0.5% increase excluding transportation, Bloomberg reported.

Durable goods include large items such as refrigerators and air conditioners. Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling both components and finished goods.