Truck tonnage dipped in May, according to data issued today by the American Trucking Associations (ATA).
ATA reported that its May Seasonally Adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index reading, at 114.4 (2015=100), saw a 0.6% annual increase, following a 2.5% annual increase in April. On a sequential basis, it fell 2%, following a 0.9% sequential decrease in April. Through the first five months of 2026, the index posted a 2% annual increase, whereas it was flat annually in 2025.
The ATA’s not seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by fleets before any seasonal adjustment and the metric ATA says fleets should benchmark their levels with, came in at 114.8, which came in 0.8% below the 115.7 reading in April. ATA said that these indices “are dominated by contract freight, as opposed to traditional spot market freight.”
“After a total gain of 4.7% during the first three months of the year, tonnage fell a total of 2.9% during the last two months,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Despite the recent decreases, the index increased from year earlier levels for the sixth straight month, which is pretty good considering the bulk of freight drivers, like manufacturing and construction, remain lackluster.”
