Uneven Signs of Growth in the Transport Industry

September 07, 2012

A file photo of traffic near Chicago, Illinois. Economists say trucks carry nearly 70 percent of American freight.

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

A look at some industries in the United States shows that the economic recovery is somewhat uneven. And growth seems to be slowing down. VOA’s Jim Randle spoke with experts in the transportation industry, which is easily affected by economic changes.

Economists say trucks carry nearly seventy percent of the freight, or goods, transported in the United States.

The American Trucking Association represents the interests of the trucking industry. It says freight is a good measure of the economy. This is because businesses have to move unprocessed materials, carry parts to factories, and transport imports and exports.

Bob Costello is the chief economist for the group.

BOB COSTELLO: “We are actually a very good indicator, a leading economic indicator in fact. And so if tonnage starts to fall, we get nervous. If it’s going up, we are pretty happy. “

The amount of freight carried by trucks is going up slowly. The American Trucking Association says total freight tonnage increased in June, but remained unchanged in July. That is good news to Bob Costello.

BOB COSTELLO: "It is telling me that the economy is not falling into another recession. It will continue as a sort of a slow growth recovery."