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Evidence both statistical and anecdotal is mounting that the trucking industry is rebounding on the strength of an improving economy.
Trucking Industry
Photo/Dale Guldan
The trucking industry has started to show growth, analysts say. That could affect truckers such as Jose Canumay, who adjusts his mirrors Wednesday before leaving an Oak Creek truck stop.
Quotable
This is pretty broad-based. There are a lot of companies out there that are saying things are looking good.
- Bob Costello, ,
chief economist for the American Trucking Associations
Tonnage moved is up. So are the stock prices of several of the largest truckload carriers.
At the same time, firms are again having a tougher time finding qualified drivers, a possible sign of economic recovery. And companies are reporting continued strong demand for August and early September - a period not covered by the most recent statistics.
"This is pretty broad-based," said Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations. "There are a lot of companies out there that are saying things are looking good."
The industry trade group's truck tonnage index, a key indicator of trucking activity, is up 3.7% for the first seven months of the year, compared with the same period in 2002.