ATA tonnage index rises

Updated Dec 22, 2011

The American Trucking Associations reported its seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 0.3 percent in November following a revised 0.4 percent gain in October.

Compared with November 2010, SA tonnage was up 6 percent, the largest year-over-year gain since a 6.5 percent increase in June 2011. For the year, tonnage is up 5.4 percent over the same period in 2010.

The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, dipped 2.6 percent in November from the previous month.

โ€œAs I said last month, tonnage levels continue to point to an economy that is growing, not sliding into a recession,โ€ ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. โ€œOver the last three months, tonnage is up 2.3 percent and stands at the highest level since January of this year.โ€