American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) reports trucking activity in the United States increased slightly in July, rising 0.6% in its advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, but overall has remained fairly flat since March.
“July truck tonnage increased sequentially, but did not erase the 0.7% decline in June. Since March, truck tonnage has been in a tight range,” says ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.
“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.”
Overall, ATA reports its index equaled 113.7 in July, 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, ATA adds tonnage was unchanged.
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ATA also notes June’s SA decline was larger than first reported late last month.
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.
