“After declines in November and December totaling 1.7%, tonnage was unchanged in January” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “This outcome is impressive considering the massive winter storm that brought cold temperatures and significant snowfalls to large parts of the country, including those that rarely see such storms. Furthermore, the terrible wildfires in California likely also caused freight disruptions. Softness in manufacturing and retail sales continue to be a drag on truck freight volumes as well, so the fact tonnage was flat is a positive sign.” In January, the ATA advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index equaled 111.9 the same as December. The index, which is based on 2015 as 100, was up 0.3% from the same month last year, the first year-over-year increase since August. The not seasonally adjusted index, which calculates raw changes in tonnage hauled, equaled 110 in January, 1.1% above December’s reading of 108.9.

Record diesel prices are crushing California's truckers, forcing them to adjust to avoid losses as they grapple with the most expensive pump prices in the country. Greg Dubuque's 40 drivers are in a constant diesel-devouring loop. Their big rigs pick up loads of electronics, office furniture and other goods around Los Angeles. They drive close to 1,000 miles through the Mojave Desert and over the Rocky Mountains to Denver. They bring back containers full of everything from pinto beans to home remodeling products. One tank of gas for his vehicles cost $600 a couple of months ago. Today it costs $1,000. That's a record high and more than 35% above the country's average. “California sets itself apart from the rest of the country when it comes to pricing," said Dubuque, a third-generation trucker and general manager of Liberty Linehaul West. "Now it’s really out of control.” The average price of a gallon of diesel in California got close to $7.75 this week, up 50% from a month ago, according to the American Automobile Assn. The national average of diesel is closer to $5.65 at recent peaks.

Trucking on the open road has long been a symbol of freedom, opportunity, and resolve. Now, a new documentary series titled DRIVEN shines a spotlight on the dedicated professionals behind the wheel who keep our nation rolling through good times and bad—and the millions more who work throughout the industry to deliver for America. DRIVEN was produced by the American Trucking Associations—in association with ACT 1 and the Texas Trucking Association Foundation—as part of its Nothing Without Trucking campaign, which educates policymakers and the public about the indispensable role trucking plays in Americans’ lives. Beginning with professional drivers, the series plans to document the vast array of roles throughout trucking that come together to form an unbreakable bond in the U.S. supply chain.