Truck Tonnage Rises in August

The freight industry climbed marginally higher in August, according to one report. 

For-hire transportation increased 0.2 percent over July’s results, according to the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) seasonally adjusted Truck Tonnage Index, which released Sept. 19. 

That was lower than July’s 1.1 percent hike over June, according to the report. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello stated that tonnage seems to have hit the bottom in April and is continuing to climb. 

For the sixth straight month, year-over-year comparisons showed decreases; August 2023’s index value was down 2.3 percent compared to August 2022. In July, that number was down 1.2 percent. 

Costello noted that “it is unlikely that tonnage turns positive compared with a year earlier for at least a month or two longer. Most recently, freight continues to be mixed, with consumer spending and factory output flat to down.”