Truck tonnage leaps up 6.6 percent in 2018

The amount of freight carried by the for-hire trucking industry in 2018, according to the American Trucking Associations monthly Truck Tonnage Index, rose 6.6 percent from 2017.

That gain comes in spite of a 4.3 percent dip in tonnage to close the year. The year-over-year gain was the largest since 1998, ATA says.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello called 2018 “a banner year for truck tonnage.”

However, he noted, “there is evidence the industry and economy [are] moderating,” citing tonnage dips in November and December following an all-time high in October.