Truck Tonnage Falls for Second Straight Month

The freight market remained soft in April, according to one report. 

For-hire transportation dipped 1.2 percent month-over-month, according to the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, which published May 21. 

That decrease comes after a 2.2 percent fall in March, which was lower than the 2 percent initially estimated. 

Year-over-year, tonnage is down 1.5 percent, marking the 14th straight month of decline in that category. 

“With a rebound in freight remaining elusive, it is likely that additional capacity will leave the industry in the face of continued softness in the market,” stated Bob Costello, ATA chief economist. 

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