Truck Tonnage Dips for Second Straight Month
Freight volume contracted in December, marking the second month in a row, according to one report.
Tonnage fell 1.1 percent in December after a 1.8 percent decline in November, according to the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.
It was the first time that freight volume dipped in consecutive months since March and April of 2024, per the Jan. 21 report.
ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello stated that “sluggishness in factory output continues to weigh on freight volumes, but another drag on the index has been fleet growth at private carriers, which is holding back how much freight is flowing to for-hire carriers.”
Year-over-year, tonnage is down 3.2 percent and currently sits at its lowest level since January 2024, according to the report.
The index is based on an ATA survey of its members and focuses more on contract freight than the spot market.