U.S. truck tonnage shows August improvement

U.S. truck tonnage shows August improvement    Another sign the U.S. economic downturn has bottomed out came Friday when the American Trucking Associations released preliminary figures showing trucking volumes picked up in August on a seasonally adjusted basis.
   The ATA's Truck Tonnage Index, based on a survey of members, rose 2.1 percent last month, the same as in July. The latest gain raised the index to 104.1 from a baseline of 100 in 2000 — the best showing since February.
   Without adjusting for seasonal factors, the index actually dropped 0.5 percent to 105.8.
   'The gains in tonnage during July and August reflect a growing economy and less of an overhang in inventories,' Chief Economist Bob Costello said. He cautioned that growth in coming months might be slower than during the past two.
   'While I'm optimistic that the worst is behind us, most economic indicators, including industrial output and household spending, suggest freight tonnage will exhibit moderate, and probably inconsistent, growth in the months ahead,' he said.