U.S. trucking demand falls back

• The American Trucking Association reports its truck tonnage index fell 0.9% M/M in November. The reading for November was 0.2% higher than the year-ago period.
• "With year-over-year gains averaging just 1.2% over the last three months, there has been a clear deceleration in truck tonnage," notes ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.
• A high level of inventory in retail and the energy market slump could keep truck demand tepid, warns the ATA.
• Related stocks: ODFL, YRCW, RRTS, ECHO, HTLD, JBHT, SWFT, KNX, LSTR, UACL, ARCB, SAIA, CNW, XPO.