Report: Tonnage Fell in March

Truck tonnage dipped 2 percent in March after a 4 percent rise in February, according to one report. 

Compared to March 2023, tonnage is down 1 percent, according to the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, which released April 23. That is the thirteenth straight year-over-year decline, the report noted. 

Bob Costello, ATA chief economist, stated the report indicates that “truck freight volumes remain lackluster, and it is clear the truck freight recession continued through the first quarter. 

“In the first three months of 2024, ATA’s tonnage index contracted 0.8 percent from the previous quarter and declined 2.4 percent from a year earlier, highlighting ongoing challenges the industry is navigating,” Costello continued. 

The index is based on an ATA survey of its members and focuses more on contract freight than the spot market.