The Trucker Newspaper - September 15, 2018

30 • September 15-30, 2018 Business
b Tonnage from page 25 b
ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Both the
month-to-month and year-over-year gains were
the largest in three months. This robust growth
stems from solid manufacturing, retail sales,
and construction activity. The industry’s biggest
challenge isn’t finding enough freight, but
recruiting and retaining quality drivers.”
In other news that impacts the trucking industry,
the U.S. Census Bureau said new home
sales in July were at a seasonally adjusted rate
of 627,000.
This is 1.7 percent below the revised rate
of 638,000, but is 14.7 percent above the July
estimate of 556,000.
The median sales price of new houses sold
in July 2018 was $328,700 with the average
sales price being $394,399.
There were an estimated 309,000 new houses
for sale, a supply of 5.9 months at the current
sales rate, the U.S. Census Bureau said.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors
said existing home sales subsided for the
fourth straight month in July to their slowest
pace in over two years.
Total existing-home sales, which are completed
transactions that include single-family
homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops,
decreased 0.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted
annual rate of 5.34 million in July from 5.38 million
in June. With last month’s decline, sales are
now 1.5 percent below a year ago and have fallen
on an annual basis for five straight months.
Home construction and sales are important
to the trucking industry, which transports much
of the goods used to build new homes and remodel
existing ones.
The Census Bureau said that new orders for
durable goods in July decreased $4.3 billion or
1.7 percent to $246.9 billion.
This decrease, down three of the last
four months, followed a 0.7 percent June
increase. Excluding transportation, new
orders increased 0.2 percent. Excluding
defense, new orders decreased 1.0 percent.
Transportation equipment, also down three
of the last four months, drove the decrease,
thetrucker.com
$4.6 billion or 5.3 percent to $82.8 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods
in July, down following two consecutive
monthly increases, decreased $0.5 billion or
0.2 percent to $250.8 billion. This followed a
1.6 percent June increase.
Transportation equipment, down three of
the last four months, drove the decrease, $1.6
billion or 1.9 percent to $83.9 billion.
As for consumers, the federal government
said Americans’ consumer confidence rose in
August to the highest level in nearly 18 years
as their assessment of current conditions improved
further and their expectations about the
future rebounded.
The Conference Board reported that its
consumer confidence index rose to 133.4 in
August, up from a reading of 127.9 in July. It
was the highest reading since confidence stood
at 135.8 in October 2000.
Consumers’ confidence in their ability to get
a job and the overall economy are seen as important
indicators of how freely they will spend,
especially on big-ticket items such as cars, in
coming months. Consumer spending accounts
for 70 percent of economic activity. 8
b Lane from page 25 b
ing, I was 70 miles from barbecue paradise.
The odometer seemed to drag, but finally
I arrived. As I pulled up, there was the longhorn,
hovering over the entrance in welcome.
I headed in, prepared to partake in one of the
great culinary experiences of my life.
You know those places where you slide
along a tray and pick your entrée plus two sides
from a multicolored selection of slop presented
in big serving pans? Yeah, it was one of those.
The meats were conspicuously not on display.
Why would they keep the pride of Texas under
wraps?
It didn’t matter, I’d seen enough. I decided
I could wait two more hours until I was home.
Like I said, it was just a tiny taste of life on
the road. But when it comes to road food, I had
my fill. 8
Come Join the JanCo Family!
EntErtainmEnt transportation spEcialists sincE 1975
WE REQUIRE
u Clean MVR
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u Ability to be on the road up to 4 months at
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Owner-Operators
Tags and fuel surcharge program available
Average 70-75% of line haul
Must be CA compliant
Please call our recruiting department
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Currently hiring company drivers and owner operators.
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TEAMS ARE
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