October Freight Usage Declined in Part Due to Sandy
The levels for freight transportation usage in October were the lowest they had been in more than a year.
Freight transportation in October fell 1.9 percent from levels in September, according to the Department of Transportation. This continued a trend in the past year of falling freight dependence. This brand of transportation services fell 1.9 percent from September 2011 to the same month this year.
The DOT is attributing a portion of October’s decline to Hurricane Sandy, which affected both truck and freight traffic. Levels fell 1.6 percent from October of last year to the same month this year.
Freight usage peaked in December of last year, the highest level of usage in 22 years. October’s decline is the lowest freight transportation levels have been since May 2011.