American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 0.2% in August after rising 1.1% in July. In August, the index equaled 115.3 (2015=100) compared with 115 in July. “The evidence is growing that tonnage hit bottom in April and continues its slow climb upwards,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “However, year-over-year comparisons remain difficult as tonnage peaked in September of last year. As a result, it is unlikely that tonnage turns positive compared with a year earlier for at least a month or two longer. Most recently, freight continues to be mixed, with consumer spending and factory output flat to down.” July’s increase was revised higher from our August 22 press release. Compared with August 2022, the SA index fell 2.3%, which was the sixth straight year-over-year decrease. In July, the index was down 1.2% from a year earlier.

Import cargo at the nation’s major container ports is expected to drop dramatically beginning next month. That’s according to the latest Global Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. (The report was released the day before President Trump gave a 90-day break on most of the new reciprocal tariffs that were set to go into effect while, at the same time, raising duties on China to 125%, effective immediately.) Imports during the second half of 2025 are expected to be down at least 20% year-over-year, said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett. Even balanced against elevated levels earlier this year, that could bring total 2025 cargo volume to a net decline of 15% or more unless the situation changes.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has signed a contract for the acquisition of Novimpianti Drying Technology S.r.l., a company owned by Novigroup S.r.l. and based in Lucca, Italy. Novimpianti has approximately 40 employees and generates annual sales of approximately 10 million euros. Novimpianti is a global supplier of engineered equipment and services for air and energy systems to the paper industry’s leading manufacturers. For ANDRITZ, the acquisition of Novimpianti further strengthens its product offerings in the field of air and energy systems, mainly for tissue and paperboard machines. Click Read More below for additional information.