Transport Topics (April 21, 2021)
Truck tonnage in March declined almost 10% on an annual basis, but experts say the comparison isn’t exactly apples to apples. A year ago, COVID-19 had gripped the nation, noted American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello after the federation released its monthly For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index yesterday. On a month-to-month basis, the index decreased 5.1% in March after declining 2.3% in February. Costello said, “A year ago in March, we were delivering all that toilet paper and there was a surge of activity. There was panic buying.” Going forward, Costello says the U.S. economy is poised for a significant rebound due to vaccinations and increased spending from stimulus programs.
