Economy

The ATA Freight Transportation Forecast is projecting steadily increasing freight tonnage overall and for the trucking industry for the next ten years.

Housing starts in the U.S. bounced back, according to a new Commerce Department report, but concerns remain about the future of the housing market as well as the wider economy.

The level of freight moved by the nation’s for-hire transporters rebounded in May following a two-month decline, according to the U.S. Transportation Department.

Lower than earlier forecast crude oil prices are expected to translate into continued low prices at the pumps for both diesel and gasoline, according to a new U.S. Energy Department report.

July and August should be two of the busiest months ever seen for imports at the nation’s major retail container ports, possibly setting a new record as merchants enter the back-to-school season and begin to stock up for the holiday season that will follow, according to a new forecast from the National Retail Federation, a retail trade association.

The number of job gains showed no signs of easing up in June, as the Labor Department reports strong additions, with hiring better than previously estimated.

There are conflicting reports on activity in the nation’s manufacturing sector. One report says it moved into high gear in June, hitting a near three-year high, while a separate one indicated conditions were the weakest since last September.

It seems just as soon as one report comes out saying there are indications the economy (and trucking) continues to get better, another follows that seems to point the other way, says business contributing editor Evan Lockridge in his July column.

The U.S. economy grew faster in the first quarter of the year than earlier estimates indicated, according to a Commerce Department report released Thursday, but there’s little optimism there the second quarter will show a big surge.

A preliminary report released Monday showed a drop in a key benchmark for future business spending, as total orders and shipments of durable goods were mixed, according to the Commerce Department.

A first look at the nation’s manufacturing sector this month shows conditions have hit a nine-month low, while home sales have roared back amid near-term expectations the overall economy will continue with a moderate expansion.

The value of freight moved between the U.S and its North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico moved higher in April for the sixth straight month, but trucking's share fell, according to new U.S. Transportation Department figures.

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index showed improving freight demand while ACT Research's For-Hire Trucking Index indicated that fleets were looking to buy new equipment.

Political uncertainty could be partially to blame for some less-than-stellar economic reports, with show housing starts dropping, consumer confidence slipping, and industrial production stalled.

Despite retail sales falling by the biggest amount in 16 months and a dip in consumer prices, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday for the third consecutive quarter as the central bank signaled its confidence in the U.S. economy.

A measure of total for-hire freight movements in the U.S. fell for the second straight month in April, according to a report issued Wednesday by Transportation Department.

Broughton Capital, an independent financial research firm, has unveiled a set of tools for truckload industry market watchers called DAT Freight Barometers.

U.S. job growth continued in May with unemployment hitting its lowest level in 16 years, likely paving the way for the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates again in a couple of weeks.

Results from two surveys of the nation’s purchasing executives indicate manufacturing activity in the U.S. during May was nearly unchanged from the month before. Meanwhile, separate reports show construction spending eased, but consumer spending increased, resulting in hopes that the current quarter will be stronger for the overall economy than the previous one.

Growth in the U.S. economy during the first quarter didn’t slow as much as first estimated, according to government numbers released Friday, while separate reports showed weaker factory activity but continued high consumer sentiment.