The American Trucking Associations said its advanced seasonally adjusted for-hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.9 percent in April

, corresponding with a deceleration in overall economic growth.
ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said April’s numbers tend to agree with anecdotal reports from ATA members, who indicate that freight volumes were mediocre in March and April.
Costello said that year-over-year comparisons would become more difficult because freight demand was unusually robust in 2004 due to strong economic growth. ATA said truck volumes are expected to grow 3.5 percent in 2005.
“The economy has decelerated some from last year, but this year has still been good in terms of growth and demand,” Costello said. “There continues to be a favorable supply-demand market, and we expect to see a strong fall freight season.”
Year-to-date, tonnage increased 3.7 percent, compared with a year earlier. The truck tonnage index increased 5.7 percent in 2004.
Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy because it represents nearly 70% of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods.
Trucks hauled 9.8 billion tons of freight in 2004. Motor carriers collected $671 billion dollars, or just under 88 percent of total revenues earned by all transport modes.