Indicators: Truck tonnage reveals ‘really strong’ freight market

CCJ‘s Indicators rounds up the latest reports on trucking business indicators on rates, freight, equipment, the economy and more.

The amount of freight moved by the for-hire trucking industry in November, as measured by the  American Trucking Associations’ For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, jumped again, gaining 2.3 percent from October and 7.6 percent from last November.

Year-to-date, compared with the same eleven months in 2016, the index is up 3.5 percent.

“The freight market is really strong,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The solid truck tonnage figures over the last four months suggest to me that this holiday spending season might be better than many expected, and the best in several years. The strength in tonnage also shows that other parts of the economy are doing well, too, including business investment, factory output, and even construction.”