WASHINGTON — Trucking activity in the United States increased slightly in July, but activity has been fairly flat since March.
Specifically, truck freight tonnage rose 0.6% after falling 0.7% in June, according to the American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.
“July truck tonnage increased sequentially, but did not erase the 0.7% decline in June,” said Bob Costello, ATA chief economist. “Since March, truck tonnage has been in a tight range. The good news is truck freight volumes haven’t fallen much over that period, but we are not seeing many increases either. In July, there were mixed drivers of truck tonnage with housing starts and retail sales up, while manufacturing output was flat to down depending on the metric.”
Advanced Seasonally Adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index
In July, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 113.7, up from 113.0 in June. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, slipped 0.1% from the same month last year after falling 0.4% in June. Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2024, tonnage was unchanged.
June’s SA decline was larger than first reported in an ATA July 22 press release.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, equaled 116.8 in July, 1.9% above June’s reading of 114.6.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
