Trailer Shipments Still Behind '98 Pace

January 26, 2000 10:45 AM, EST

As 1999 drew to a close, shipments of truck trailers continued to run well behind the record pace of 1998, according to the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association.

In figures released on Jan.14, the organization reported that shipments of trailers totaled 255,446 through November 1999, 18.8% below the 314,596 counted during the same period in 1998.

However, TTMA’s figures for trailer shipments come from the Bureau of Census, which often revises its numbers downward. The 1998 figures still have not been changed, leaving the year’s record of 344,007 — compared with the confirmed number of 279,414 in 1995 — in question.

Confusing matters further, Peter Toja, an economist who tracks trailer shipments with figures he gathers independently, has projected a 1998 figure of about 280,000. Though his number would still edge out the 1995 tally, it is far lower than the total reported by TTMA.

For the full story, see the Jan. 24 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.