Truck Tonnage Index Rebounds in December, Rising 3.9%

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American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted truck tonnage index jumped 3.9% in December, following a 3.6% downturn in November.The TTI rose to 110.9 from 106.8 in November, but was down 5.5% from December 2005, ATA said late Friday. The not seasonally adjusted index fell 6.3% from November, to 99.8. November’s reading had been the largest year-to-year decrease since December 2000. (Click here for previous coverage.) “The robust 3.9% gain — the largest monthly increase since a 7.3% surge in January 2005 — is the result of more shipments later in the fall freight season than what we typically saw in the not-too-distant past,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.“As retailers sell more merchandise in January due to the proliferation of gift card giving, this trend is likely to continue in the years ahead,” he said.