Trucking activity was up again in the United States in March, rising 0.3% after surging 2.9% in February, according to the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.
“While March wasn’t particularly strong sequentially, it was the largest year-over-year increase since October 2022,” says Bob Costello, ATA chief economist. “The first quarter of 2026 was also the best performance since the third quarter of 2017 when considering both sequential and year-over-year results.”
In March, ATA states its advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 117.0, up from 116.6 in February. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, increased 3% from the same month in 2025, the largest year-over-year gain since October 2022.
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During the first three months of the year, ATA reports tonnage is up 2.1% from the same period last year. In 2025, the tonnage index was flat compared to the 2024 average. February’s seasonally adjusted increase also was revised up slightly from what was first reported last month.
The not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, equaled 120.1 in March — 12% above February’s reading of 107.3. As the freight industry continues to stabilize, these metrics provide a crucial benchmark for the broader economy, ATA reports.
