American Trucking Associations reported that for-hire truck shipment tonnage jumped 2.1% in December.
The boost follows a seasonally adjusted 2.6% improvement in November, ATA said. When compared year-over-year, the December 2009 results were up 6.6% compared to December 2008.
ATA’s tonnage index was 108.4 for December, up from November’s 106.2.
Still, truck tonnage was down for the entire year, dropping 8.3% in 2009 vs. 2008. And ATA chief economist Bob Costello warned that the late 2009 results do not signal a longer-term trend.
"The robust tonnage numbers in November and December were aided by better economic growth as well as a positive inventory effect," Costello said. "However, economic activity is expected to moderate in the current quarter, which will keep a lid on tonnage growth.
“There is no doubt that the industry is moving the right direction, but the level of freight will not be as strong as the year-over-year increases suggest because of how terrible it was in late 2008 and much of 2009."