Santa’s sleigh may fly a little lower for trucking this year, even though experts point to an improved economy.
The industry’s traditional last-quarter surge from Christmas shelf-stocking may not peak as high as in past years, reports FleetOwner.com. A trend toward reserved consumer spending and the down economy make the holiday peak less predictable than usual.
“While relative stability has returned to the Retail Index, it has not been able to demonstrate growth for three straight periods,” Consumer Reports director Ed Farrell said. “With the holiday season fast approaching, this has dire implications for expectations this season.”
That doesn’t mean actual spending performance will follow lowered expectations, said Michael Niemira, chief economist and director of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). The numbers could beat the predictions, “which is often the case following business cycle turning points in the economy,” Niemira said.
Even if 2009’s freight peak isn’t as rosy and bright, it doesn’t mean the end of the line for the industry’s annual end-of-the-year surge, according to Eric Starks, president of FTR Associates, a truck industry research firm. Starks told Fleet Owner that even with a “muted” peak season, once the economy normalizes, he anticipated the traditional holiday surge to return.
Source: Fleet Owner Magazine: Trucks wait for holiday freight
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