US truckers see upturn in economy

A positive sign that the
US economy is starting to
recover is growth in demand
for rented commercial
vehicles.
The American Trucking
Association’s advanced
seasonally adjusted (SA)
For-Hire Truck Tonnage
Index jumped 6.8% in
December after rising 0.3%
in November 2011.
Trucking is a barometer of
the US economy, representing
67.2% of tonnage carried by
all modes of domestic freight
transportation – including
manufactured and retail
goods.
Trucks hauled nine billion
tons of freight in 2011.
This was 5.9% more than
the previous year – the
largest annual increase
since 1998.