Truck Tonnage Index Off Slightly in June
American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.5% in June, following a revised gain of 0.8% during May.
In June, the index equaled 131.1 (2000=100). The all-time high of 135.8 was reached in January 2015. Compared with June 2014, the SA index increased 1.8%, which was above the 1.5% gain in May. Year-to-date through June, compared with the same period last year, tonnage was up 3.4%.
During the second quarter, the SA index fell 1.7% from the first quarter but increased 2% from the same quarter in 2014. The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 138.2 in June, which was 4.2% above the previous month (132.7).
“With flat factory output and falling retail sales, I’m not surprised tonnage was soft in June,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “I also remain concerned over the elevated inventory-to-sales ratio for retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers, which suggests soft tonnage in the months ahead until the ratio falls.
Category: Featured, General Update
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