ATA: Truck tonnage dips in September

The organization’s seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 0.9 percent compared with the previous month to a reading of 144.4, following a revised 4.7 percent gain in August, according to the American Trucking Associations.    Domestic truck tonnage fell 0.9 percent in September 2017, following a 4.7 percent increase during August, according to the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.
   The seasonally adjusted index equaled 144.4 for the month, up 7.4 percent compared with September 2016. Year-to-date, compared with the same nine months in 2016, the index is up 2.4 percent. ATA also revised its August increase in the index down to a 4.7 percent gain from the previously reported 7.1 percent increase.
   The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 145.3 in September, which was 5 percent below the previous month (152.9).
   “Tonnage gave back some of the solid gain in August, but remains at very high levels despite the weather-related issues during the month,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Going forward, rebuilding from those hurricanes and other natural disasters like the wildfires in California will add to freight demand.
   “September’s small setback doesn’t worry me. Freight has been improving and I would have thought tonnage last month would have been softer than it was,” Costello said.