American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 1.3% in November after rising 0.4% in October. In November, the index equaled 114.5 (2015=100) compared with 113 in October. “November’s gain was the fourth straight, totaling 4.3%, and the tonnage level was the highest since April,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The recent streak is very good, but it should be noted that from April through July the index fell a total of 4.6%, so we are not quite back to where we were last spring. "With that said, the index saw the largest gain from a year earlier since May. In November, strong factory output and housing starts helped push the index higher," he said.

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $2.204; Month Ago: $2.174; Year Ago: $2.568. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $2.418; Month Ago: $2.426; Year Ago: $2.925.

Amazon is joining the list of major logistics providers that are hitting shippers with price hikes and elevated surcharges as fuel costs rise amid the war in Iran. UPS and FedEx’s fuel surcharge rates continue to climb, and the U.S. Postal Service plans to launch an 8% temporary price hike on package shipping services April 26. “We have absorbed these increased costs so far,” Amazon said in its announcement. “However, similar to other major carriers, when costs remain elevated, we implement temporary surcharges on our fulfillment fees to recover a portion of the actual cost increases we are experiencing.”