September truck tonnage falls, after two months of gains, reports ATA

On the heels of two months of gains in July and August, truck tonnage levels took a step back in September, according to data issued today by the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

Following respective 1.1% and 0.9% gains in July and August, ATA reported that its September advanced Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index saw a 0.9% decline, coming in at 114.2 (2015=100).

The ATA’s not seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage 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, registered a 114.7 reading, 2.6% below August’s 117.7.  

“Tonnage levels remain choppy, but they are up 2.1% since hitting a low in January,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Compared to the high three years earlier, however, truck tonnage is still off by 3.9%. In fact, September’s tonnage level was essentially the same as in September 2023, underscoring the tough freight market over the last few years.”