August 21, 2025
American truck tonnage index increased slightly in July
Trucking activity in the United States increased slightly in July, but activity has been fairly flat since March. Specifically, truck freight tonnage rose 0.6% after falling 0.7% in June, according to the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index.
"July truck tonnage increased sequentially, but did not erase the 0.7% decline in June," said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. "Since March, truck tonnage has been in a tight range. The good news is truck freight volumes haven't fallen much over that period, but we are not seeing many increases either. In July, there were mixed drivers of truck tonnage with housing starts and retail sales up, while manufacturing output was flat to down depending on the metric."
In July, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 113.7, up from 113.0 in June. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, slipped 0.1% from the same month last year after falling 0.4% in June. Year-to-date, compared with the same period in 2024, tonnage was unchanged.
Source: ATA