The American Trucking Assns.’ advanced seasonally adjusted Truck Tonnage Index increased 10.6% to 155.0 (1993=100) in September.
September’s gain erased nearly the entire drop in August, when the index fell a revised 9.6%.
Compared to September 2002, the unadjusted index increased 4.2%, and 2% from August 2003. Year-to-date through September, the unadjusted tonnage index is up 3% compared to the same time period in 2002.
“It is encouraging that tonnage bounced back in September after the surprisingly large decrease in August,” said Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist. “But it is very clear that motor carriers are dealing with a large degree of volatility in the amount of freight to haul.”
