Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Economic Watch: GDP Performance Unchanged; Durable Goods Rebound

The widest measure of the nation’s economy performed as first estimated in the final quarter of last year despite a jump in consumer spending, according to a new assessment released Tuesday. Meanwhile, orders for long-lasting durable goods rebounded somewhat in January.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
February 28, 2017
Economic Watch: GDP Performance Unchanged; Durable Goods Rebound

 

3 min to read


The widest measure of the nation’s economy performed as first estimated in the final quarter of last year despite a jump in consumer spending, according to a new assessment released Tuesday. Meanwhile,orders for long-lasting durable goods rebounded somewhat in January.

Ad Loading...

The U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) increased at a rate of 1.9% in the final three months of 2016, according to the second of three estimates from the Commerce Department, the same rate as the reading from a month earlier. This latest reading is a little below what Wall Street analysts were expecting and compares to a rate of 3.5% in the third quarter of 2016.

Ad Loading...

According to MarketWatch, GDP was held down by the U.S. trade deficit even as “consumer spending rebounded strongly,” up 3% versus the earlier estimate of 2.5%, which it said should bode well for the overall economy in the coming months as household spending accounts for up to 70% of all economic activity. In contrast, the rise in the trade deficit cut total GDP growth in half and was also was offset by weaker government spending and business fixed investment.

“The upward revision to consumer spending indicates strong momentum in the household sector toward the end of the year, but a more modest increase in business investment is somewhat discouraging, leaving less evidence of rebalancing in domestic growth toward the end of last year,” said Josh Nye, economist at RBC Economics Research. “While the latter trend is less positive than previously estimated, we continue to expect nonresidential investment will pick up modestly this year alongside improving business sentiment, supplementing another strong contribution to growth from consumer spending.”

Durable Good Orders Improve, Capital Spending Falls

This follows a separate report from the Commerce Department on Monday showing new orders for durable goods in January increased 1.8% from the month before following two consecutive monthly declines.

The hike was driven by a 6% jump in new transportation orders and was slightly better than a consensus estimate from analysts. Excluding transportation new orders in January fell 0.2% from December but overall orders increased 1.4% from a year earlier.

Shipments of durable goods, didn’t do as well, falling 0.1% following two straightly monthly gains but gained 3.6% from the same time a year earlier.

Ad Loading...

Inside the report, a measure of business investment, new orders for non-military capital goods minus aircraft, slipped 0.4% in January, the first decline since September, and follows an upwardly revised 1.1% gain in December.

The report shows business investment remains tepid at best, according to Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at Stifel Fixed Income.

“At this point, a good portion of the gain, however, is buoyed by confidence in better conditions ahead, resulting from a pro-growth agenda out of Washington focused on removing the barriers to businesses and jumpstarting economic growth,” she said.  

Piegza cautioned that political promises, however, will need to turn into reality to sustain and further propel this type of activity.

“We remain cautiously optimistic as there are limitations to what the president can do, but even minimal improvement from an otherwise declining trend established over the past near-decade is a large step in the right direction,” she said.

More Fleet Management

ATA President Chris Spear.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 17, 2026

ATA’s Spear Warns Fuel Prices, Trade Policy, and Global Conflict Could Stall Trucking Recovery

Speaking at the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, ATA President Chris Spear said trucking faces mounting pressure from rising fuel prices, geopolitical instability, and uncertainty around trade policy.

Read More →
Illustration of author headshot with black-and-white old-fashioned rig in the background

New Entrants, Chameleon Carriers, and Safety: Is It Too Easy to Start a Trucking Company?

More than 100,000 new trucking companies enter the industry each year, but regulators manage to audit only a fraction of them. That churn creates opportunities for inexperienced startups — and for “chameleon carriers” that shut down after safety violations and reappear under new identities. Read more from Deborah Lockridge in this commentary.

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

Fleet Managers Invited to Apply for Exclusive HDT Exchange Event

HDTX is an intimate event that connects heavy-duty trucking fleet managers with industry suppliers through small-group discussions, educational sessions, and structured one-on-one meetings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
DAT iPhone Widget.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

DAT Launches iPhone Widget to Help Owner-Operators Find Loads Faster

New DAT One feature shows top-paying loads directly on an iPhone’s home screen, helping carriers react faster to spot-market opportunities.

Read More →
Optimal Dynamics Scale screen shot
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

Optimal Dynamics Launches AI System to Help Carriers Choose Better Freight

Optimal Dynamics says its new Scale platform uses AI agents and optimization to help carriers find and secure freight that improves network balance and profitability.

Read More →
DAT March 2026 trucking conditions.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 12, 2026

DAT: Flatbed Demand Climbs as Van and Reefer Rates Soften

DAT Freight & Analytics data shows tightening flatbed capacity, easing produce markets, and softening van and reefer rates.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
YouTube thumbnail with Mike Roeth of NACFE saying "NACFE's Messy Middle: Which Fuel Wins?"
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Run on Less “Messy Middle” Data Shows Multiple Paths Forward for Truck Powertrains [Watch]

NACFE's Run on Less - Messy Middle project demonstrates the power of data in helping to guide the future of alternative fuels and powertrains for heavy-duty trucks.

Read More →
Illustration of crowded New York street overlaid with dollar signs
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Federal Court Lets NYC Congestion Pricing Continue

A federal court ruling allows New York City’s congestion pricing program to continue, leaving truck tolls in place for fleets delivering into Manhattan.

Read More →
Fontaine Modification Access365
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 10, 2026

Fontaine Modification Launches Real-Time Truck Modification Tracking Portal

Fontaine Modification has introduced a new customer portal designed to give fleets real-time visibility into the truck modification process, addressing one of the most common questions fleet managers face: “Where’s my truck?”

Read More →
Ad Loading...
FTR Tucking Conditions March 2026.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 10, 2026

FTR: Trucking Conditions Index Climbs to Highest Level Since 2022

Strong freight rates, rising volumes and tighter capacity push trucking conditions higher, though diesel prices could temper gains in the near term, FTR cautions.

Read More →