The amount of freight carried by for-hire trucking companies fell in October, according to the American Trucking Associations’ For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, which decreased 3.8 percent in October from September to 113.7, according to seasonally adjusted data. Due to the drop, the index saw its first year-over-year decrease since November 2009 — a 2.1 percent decline.
The non-seasonally adjusted index — the actual tonnage hauled by fleets — was up 7.7 percent in October over September. ATA’s Bob Costello says Hurricane Sandy did impact the reading, noting that a “large drop in fuel shipments into the affected area likely put downward pressure” on October’s number, says ATA’s report.
