by Calculated Risk on 12/21/2011 10:11:00 PM

From ATA: ATA Truck Tonnage Index Edged 0.3% Higher in November

The American Trucking Associations’ advance seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 0.3% in November after rising a revised 0.4% in October 2011. October’s increase was slightly less than the 0.5% gain ATA reported on November 22, 2011. The latest gain put the SA index at 116.6 (2000=100) in November, up from the October level of 116.3.
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Compared with November 2010, SA tonnage was up 6.0%, the largest year-over-year gain since a 6.5% increase in June 2011.
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“Over the last three months, tonnage is up 2.3% and stands at the highest level since January of this year.” [ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said], “Two primary factors have helped truck tonnage in recent months. First, manufacturing output, which generates a significant amount of truck freight, has generally been increasing. Second, retail inventories are very lean, which is helping freight as well since retailers don’t have much excess stock and need to replenish when sales go up.”

Click on graph for larger image.

Here is a long term graph that shows ATA's For-Hire Truck Tonnage index.

The dashed line is the current level of the index. This index has started increasing again after stalling earlier this year.
All current Transportation Graphs

Earlier:
• Existing Home Sales in November: 4.42 million SAAR, 7.0 months of supply
• Existing Home Sales Revisions
• CoreLogic: Existing Home Shadow Inventory remains at 1.6 million units
• Existing Home Sales graphs