AMERICAN Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 3.3 per cent in 2019, or half the annual gain in 2018 (6.7 per cent), and the tenth consecutive annual increase.
The advanced SA For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index went up by four per cent in December after dropping 3.4 per cent in November. In December, the index equalled 118.2 compared with 113.6 in November.
'Last year was not a terrible year for for-hire truck tonnage, and despite the increase at the end of the year, 2019 was very uneven for the industry,' said ATA chief economist Bob Costello, reported the American Journal of Transportation.
'The overall annual gain masks the very choppy freight environment throughout the year, which made the market feel worse for many fleets. In December, strong housing starts helped advance the index forward,' said Mr Costello.
Compared with December 2018, the SA index rose three per cent, which was preceded by a two per cent year-on-year drop in November.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equalled 112.7 in December, two per cent below the November level (115.1). In calculating the index, 100 represents 2015.
Trucking serves as a barometer of the US economy, representing 70.2 per cent of tonnage carried by all modes of transport. Trucks hauled 10.77 billion tons in 2017. Motor carriers collected US$700.1 billion, or 79.3 per cent of total revenue earned by all transport modes.
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The advanced SA For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index went up by four per cent in December after dropping 3.4 per cent in November. In December, the index equalled 118.2 compared with 113.6 in November.
'Last year was not a terrible year for for-hire truck tonnage, and despite the increase at the end of the year, 2019 was very uneven for the industry,' said ATA chief economist Bob Costello, reported the American Journal of Transportation.
'The overall annual gain masks the very choppy freight environment throughout the year, which made the market feel worse for many fleets. In December, strong housing starts helped advance the index forward,' said Mr Costello.
Compared with December 2018, the SA index rose three per cent, which was preceded by a two per cent year-on-year drop in November.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equalled 112.7 in December, two per cent below the November level (115.1). In calculating the index, 100 represents 2015.
Trucking serves as a barometer of the US economy, representing 70.2 per cent of tonnage carried by all modes of transport. Trucks hauled 10.77 billion tons in 2017. Motor carriers collected US$700.1 billion, or 79.3 per cent of total revenue earned by all transport modes.
WORLD SHIPPING