AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 5/13/22

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.561; Month Ago: $3.528; Year Ago: $4.247. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $4.087; Month Ago: $4.211; Year Ago: $5.473.

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 1% in December after rising 0.5% in November. In December, the index equaled 114.7 (2015=100) compared with 113.5 in November. “December’s gain was the fifth straight totaling 4.4%,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “In December, tonnage reached the highest level since March, but it was still 2.7% below the pre-pandemic high. This is likely due to the fact ATA’s data is dominated by contract freight. Contractor truckload carriers operated fewer trucks in 2021 compared with 2020 and it is difficult to haul significantly more tonnage with fewer trucks. But overall, we have seen a nice trend up that is reflective of a still growing goods-economy.” November’s reading was revised down from our December 21 press release.

I can count on one hand the number of designers whose work I’ve fallen in love with based purely on their business card: Chad Michael is at the top of that list. Its devilishly intricate foil details and grinning skull-like grail are more in keeping with some mythical talisman than a simple calling card. It is precisely this mix of thoughtful sophistication and otherworldly iconography that makes Chad’s work seem both fresh and new, as well as gloriously historic. His bold choice of typography only enhances this feeling.