WASHINGTON — The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 2.1% in September after rising 1.7% in August. In September, the index equaled 113.2 (2015=100) compared with 115.6 in August.
“After increasing a total of 2.1% in July and August, tonnage fell by that amount in September,” said Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist.
“Freight has been very choppy this year, but despite the latest drop, tonnage is up 1.8% since hitting a low in January,” he said. “No doubt, the climb up has been slow and difficult as manufacturing activity remains flat, but the trend is up, not down.”
August’s increase was revised down slightly from ATA’s Sept. 24 press release.
Compared with September 2023, the index fell 0.9%, after rising 0.6% in August from a year earlier.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 111.6 in September, 6.4% below August. ATA’s For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index is dominated by contract freight as opposed to traditional spot market freight.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
