Carriers who’ve weathered the downturn are becoming readjusted to the “new” economy, taking advantage of a greater volume of freight distributed among fewer companies. Many businesses were forced to close during the recession. But despite that silver lining, other aspects of the economy that could impact trucking are slow to catch up. Housing sales and starts continue to remain low, though consumer spending is gaining slightly and showing moderate growth that’s expected to hold steady. No doubt boosted by the holidays, retail sales rose 5.5 percent, mostly on lower-ticket items such as Continue Reading

Recent consumer confidence gauges are showing mixed messages. One CBS News Poll showed a growing number of Americans felt the economy was worsening, while the latest Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan monthly consumer index show improvements. The final index reading for August showed an increase, 68.9 up from 67.8 in July, which was the lowest since November. Consumer confidence is tied to more consumer spending, which accounts for Continue Reading

Consumer confidence in June exceeded even economists’ expectations. Up a point higher that predicted, consumer confidence is a linchpin in improving the economy, as it accounts for 70 percent of it. Preliminary numbers for the month showed a reading of 75.5, the highest since January 2008 and Continue Reading

Last month, the consumer price index posted its largest gain since July 2008, gaining 0.1 percent above what economists forecasted. The Labor Department announced the index, which the government uses to measure inflation, rose Continue Reading