Truck Tonnage Index

Think of the truck driver carrying a big rig and traveling across the U.S. for days at a time, just so we can always have products on our shelves. The American Trucking Association publishes figures of the amount of freight hauled during a particular time period called the Truck Tonnage Index. Economists as well as the Federal Reserve Bank keep a careful eye on the Index as a barometer of how the economy is doing.

With over 70% of all freight in the U.S. shipped by truck, when tonnage is up it usually means manufacturing is up as well as consumer spending. The other benefit the trucking industry brings vs. other forms of distribution is they pay billions of dollars in federal and state taxes. So keep that in mind the next time you get behind a slow-moving truck carrying hazardous cargo.