Truck Volumes Dip in April

ARLINGTON - May 19/15 - SNS -- Cargo carried by trucks in the United tates dropped 3% in April, according to the American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.

In April, the index equaled 128.6 (2000=100), which was the lowest level since April 2014. The all-time high is 135.8, reached in January 2015.

Compared with April 2014, the SA index increased just 1%, which was well below the 4.2% gain in March and the smallest year-over-year gain since February 2013. Year-to-date through April, compared with the same period last year, tonnage was up 3.8%.

The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 130.6 in April which was 5.9% below the previous month (138.7).

"Like most economic indicators, truck tonnage was soft in April," said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. "Unless tonnage snaps back in May and June, GDP growth will likely be suppressed in the second quarter."

Costello added that truck tonnage is off 5.3% from the high in January.

"The next couple of months will be telling for both truck freight and the broader economy. Any significant jump from the first quarter is looking more doubtful," he said.