ATA trucking index rose in February

ATA trucking index rose in February    The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index edged 1.7 percent higher in February, marking the second consecutive month-to-month increase.
   But the group said the gain over the past two months, totaling 4.8 percent, failed to erase the 7.8 percent contraction in December 2008 and that the index, at 106.5, “is still extremely low.'
   Bob Costello, chief economist for the associations, said just because the index “rose again in February doesn’t mean the economy is on the mend. Tonnage plunged again on a year-over-year basis, which highlights the current weakness in the freight environment.”
   The index is calculated each month when the ATA asks a sample of carriers about how much tonnage they hauled, including all types of freight. The indexes are calculated based on those responses. The sample includes an array of trucking companies, ranging from small fleets to multibillion-dollar carriers.