For the second consecutive month, the American Trucking Associations' advanced seasonally adjusted for-hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 0.3%. The September increase was revised down to 0.3% from the previously reported 0.4%.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the tonnage index rose to 114.2 (2000=100) from 113.9 in September. The tonnage index in October was 1.2% higher than a year earlier, which was the largest year-over-year gain since May of this year.
Year-to-date, the truck tonnage index was up 2% compared with the same period in 2004. On a not-seasonally adjusted basis, the tonnage index fell 0.3% from September to 117.5.