Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Economic Watch: Factory Shipments, Orders Fall

New orders fell 0.7% from the month before, following a December drop of 2%, larger than first reported. Excluding transportation, new orders in January increased 0.2%.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
March 6, 2014
1 min to read


New orders and shipments of factory-made goods in the U.S. both declined in January, according to new Commerce Department figures.

New orders fell 0.7% from the month before, following a December drop of 2%, larger than first reported. Excluding transportation, new orders in January increased 0.2%.

Ad Loading...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in January fell 1% following a 5.3% drop in December. A 5.7% decline in new transportation orders drove the decline.

The bright spot is there was a 1.5% jump in new orders for core capital goods, which excludes those for transportation. Also a report earlier in the week indicates the nation’s manufacturing sector in February has rebounded from an eight-month low.

Overall factory shipments fell 0.3% following a decline of the same level in December, while shipments of manufactured durable good in January also fell 0.3%, following a 1.7% falloff in December.

Ad Loading...

A separate report from the Labor Department shows U.S. business productivity in the final quarter of last year wasn’t as strong as first thought.

It grew at an annual rate of 1.8% compared to the first reported 3.2% gain and far off the pace of 3.5% in the third quarter of 2013. For all of last year productivity increased just 0.5%, a weak trend over the past three years.

More Fleet Management

Geotab screen on AI concept background
Fleet ManagementJune 17, 2026

What Geotab's New AI Connector Means for Fleets

Fleets can now ask their usual AI assistants questions about maintenance, safety, fuel use, and vehicle performance, using their live Geotab data, and take action on the answers without leaving their preferred AI tool.

Read More →
Image of computer screen with BidBoardX interface

New C.H. Robinson Tool Opens Door to More Predictable Freight

BidBoardX lets carriers search, bid on, and secure committed freight opportunities through a single digital marketplace.

Read More →
Amazon electric cargo bike on New York City street
Fleet ManagementJune 15, 2026

New York City's Microhub Project is Delivering Results

Trucking, last-mile delivery companies, and environmental advocates like what they are seeing so far with New York's microhub program.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration of hourglass and trucks backed up to a dock
DriversJune 15, 2026

Why Truck Detention Keeps Costing Fleets Time and Money

A 2024 ATRI study found detention affects nearly 40% of truckload stops and costs the industry more than $15 billion annually. Despite the toll on drivers, fleets, and supply chains, the problem remains stubbornly persistent.

Read More →
Panel discussion
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeJune 12, 2026

Time is Running Out to Apply for Exclusive HDT Event

Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange brings fleet managers and suppliers together for the deeper conversations that lead to ideas, partnerships, and solutions. Time is running out to apply for the September event.

Read More →
Empty trailer with worker loading a pallet of cargo
Fleet ManagementJune 10, 2026

Amazon Launches Less-Than-Truckload Freight Offering for All Businesses   

This launch is the latest addition to Amazon Supply Chain Services, a portfolio of supply chain capabilities from Amazon, including freight, distribution, fulfillment, and parcel shipping.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Stacks of intermodal containers at port with truck driving between them

Import Cargo Volume to See Year-Over-Year Gain Again in June, Then Remain Below 2025 Levels Into Fall

After July, the report predicts a weakening in import volume as consumer uncertainty remains high and the impact of increasing inflation takes its toll.

Read More →
Equity Interest Auction
SponsoredJune 8, 2026

AUCTION OF EQUITY INTEREST IN HEAVY HAUL TRUCKING COMPANY!!

Mark your calendar: June 30, 2026 (10:00 a.m. PDT). A 37.5% ownership interest in MagnaTrans, LLC, a California limited liability company doing business as Magna Transportation Group, will be sold in an in-person and online auction to the highest bidder or bidders under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. The Rancho Cucamonga-based heavy haul and over-dimensional trucking company operates across California, Oregon, and Arizona.

Read More →
Volvo OTA updates.

Volvo Trucks Adds Unattended Over-the-Air Software Update Capabilities

The latest evolution of Volvo’s over-the-air update technology allows software updates to run while trucks are parked, helping fleets keep vehicles current without disrupting operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Podcast thumbnail illustration
Fleet ManagementJune 4, 2026

How Waste Connections is Using Data, Telematics, and AI

How do you manage and maintain more than 18,000 connected trucks? Data. Lots of it.

Read More →