ATA data points to truck tonnage declines to start 2023
January truck tonnage volumes saw declines to begin 2023, according to data recently issued by the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
The ATA’s advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 3.5% in January, to 111.0 (2015=100), following a 1.2% December gain. On an annual basis, the January SA was down 4.7%, marking the 11th consecutive annual decline, steeper than December’s 0.8% annual decrease.
The ATA’s not seasonally-adjusted (NSA) index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by fleets before any seasonal adjustment and the metric ATA says fleets should benchmark their levels with, came in at 109.4 in January, marking a 0.7% decrease compared to December’s 110.2.
“January’s data was a snap back to reality for anyone thinking the freight market was about to turn the corner,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello in a statement. “Bad winter weather in January likely hurt volumes, not to mention sharp drops in a number of drivers of tonnage including retail sales, housing starts and manufacturing output.”
