American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.8% in July after falling 0.3% in June. In July, the index equaled 112.9 (2015=100) compared with 113.8 in June. June’s increase was revised lower from our July 18 press release. Compared with July 2022, the SA index fell 3%, which was the fifth straight year-over-year decrease. In June, the index was down 3.2% from a year earlier.

The American Trucking Associations was joined by eight trucking organizations and affiliates in a renewed effort to repeal the outdated and counterproductive federal excise tax, or FET, on heavy-duty trucks and trailers. The coalition sent a letter to the leaders of Senate Finance Committee and House Ways & Means Committee to express strong support for the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act. The bipartisan legislation would repeal the FET and immediately reduce the cost of new, cleaner, and safer trucks by 12 percent, making it easier for fleets to upgrade their equipment. “Eliminating this tax will remove a barrier to retiring older trucks that lack modern emissions control and safety technologies, allowing owners to replace them with modern, clean models that are safer and more environmentally friendly,” the coalition wrote.