The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 112.9 in February, which was 1.3% above the previous month.
'Fleets told us that February was decent and that played out in the numbers,' ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. Costello noted that February's month-to-month increase was sixth in the last seven months.
'I'm still expecting continued truck tonnage growth going forward. Rising manufacturing activity and temperate consumer spending should be helped a little from an improving housing market,' he said.