U.S. for-hire truck tonnage slipped 2.3% in March, but was 1.6% stronger year-over-year, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
โIn March, and really the first quarter in total, tonnage was negatively impacted by bad winter storms throughout much of the U.S.,โ said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. โWhile I expected tonnage to moderate in the first quarter, the late Easter holiday and the winter storms made it worse. It is likely that tonnage will improve in the second quarter, although year-over-year gains will be significantly below the 2018 annual increase of 6.7%.โ
During the first quarter, truck tonnage was up 3.8% compared to the same period in 2018.
