ATA Cautions Even as Truck Shipments Jump in Late 2009

In the United States, Tire Review reports that the American Trucking Associations reported that for-hire truck shipment tonnage jumped 2.1 per cent in December. The boost follows a seasonally adjusted 2.6 per cent improvement in November, ATA said. When compared year-over-year, the December 2009 results were up 6.6 per cent compared with December 2008. ATA’s tonnage index for 108.4 for December, up from November’s 106.2.

Still, truck tonnage was down for the entire year, dropping 8.3 per cent in 2009 vs. 2008. And ATA chief economist Bob Costello warned that the late 2009 results do not signal a longer-term trend. “The robust tonnage numbers in November and December were aided by better economic growth as well as a positive inventory effect,” Costello said. “However, economic activity is expected to moderate in the current quarter, which will keep a lid on tonnage growth. There is no doubt that the industry is moving the right direction, but the level of freight will not be as strong as the year-over-year increases suggest because of how terrible it was in late 2008 and much of 2009.”