The latest on truck tonnage from the ATA – a slight gain in tonnage consistent with the recent weak (but positive!) data in rail traffic:
“The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 0.5% in February after falling 4.6% in January. (January’s decrease was more than the preliminary 4% drop we reported on February 28th.) The latest gain put the SA index at 119.3 (2000=100), up from January’s level of 118.7. Compared with February 2011, the SA index was up 5.5%, better than January’s 3.1% increase.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 112.9 in February, which was 1.3% above the previous month.
“Fleets told us that February was decent and that played out in the numbers,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. Costello noted that February’s month-to-month increase was sixth in the last seven months.
“I’m still expecting continued truck tonnage growth going forward. Rising manufacturing activity and temperate consumer spending should be helped a little from an improving housing market,” he said.
To see more of Costello’s thoughts on tonnage and the economy, click here. “
Mr. Roche is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Discipline Funds.Discipline Funds is a low fee financial advisory firm with a focus on helping people be more disciplined with their finances.
He is also the author of Pragmatic Capitalism: What Every Investor Needs to Understand About Money and Finance, Understanding the Modern Monetary System and Understanding Modern Portfolio Construction.
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