February’s seasonally-adjusted for-hire truck tonnage numbers indicated the third consecutive year-over-year gain, and for the first two months of 2010, freight was up 3.5 percent over the same period last year. But American Trucking Associations (ATA) economists aren’t ready to declare a full economic recovery. They agree it will take time for the industry to get to full strength, and some month-to-month volatility in tonnage is expected through the rest of 2010. But the good news is that the trend should indicate moderate growth.

Seasonally-Adjusted For-Hire Tonnage to Moderately Improve in 2010

The American Trucking Associations’ advance seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.5 percent in February following a revised 1.9 percent increase in January. The latest drop put the SA index at 108.5, down from 109.1 in January. The nonseasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 97.6 in February, down 0.8 percent from the previous month.

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