Retail Sales Rise 0.3% in January

Retail sales rose 0.3% in January, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The gain followed a 0.4% month-to-month drop in December and was higher than the 0.3% decline forecast by economists, Bloomberg reported.

Sales excluding automobiles also rose 0.3%, Commerce said. Auto sales at dealerships and parts stores gained 0.6% following a 1.1% drop in December.

Almost all trucking operations depend on the health of retail sales because such sales involve nearly every type of cargo.