Factory Orders Rise for 10th Time in 11 Months

U.S. factory orders rose in February for the 10th time in 11 months, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The 0.6% increase followed a revised 2.5% jump in January that was larger than originally reported.

The improvement was slightly above economists’ forecasts of a 0.5% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Bookings excluding transportation orders, which tend to be volatile, rose 0.7%.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, rose 0.9%, while non-durables orders such as oil and food rose 0.3%.

The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.