ATA: Truck tonnage index increased 2.8 percent in July

The seasonally adjusted index for July 2015 equaled 135, a year-over-year increase of 3.7 percent.    Domestic truck tonnage increased 2.8 percent in July, following a revised decrease of 0.4 percent in June, according to the American Trucking Association’s advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index. ATA had previously reported a 0.5 percent drop in the index for the month of June.
   The seasonally adjusted index in July equaled 135, a year-over-year increase of 3.7 percent. For the first seven months of 2015, tonnage was up 3.4 percent from the same period in 2014.
   The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage hauled by fleets prior to any seasonal adjustment, equaled 137.3 in July, down 0.8 percent from June.
   ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello attributed the strong July to better retail sales, factory output and housing starts. “However, I remain concerned in the near term about the high level of inventories throughout the supply chain. This could have a negative impact on truck freight volumes over the next few months,” Costello said in a statement.