You're watching...
American Trucking Association president Bill Graves weighs in on the state of the economy and the trucking industry.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
So the American trucking association's latest report is Alex.
And it shows that we have some -- year over year results let's drill down on their right now joining me to -- scroll up a little bit.
Is -- a Fox Business exclusive as American trucking association president and CEO former governor of Kansas Belgrade's bill.
Thanks so much for joining us I mean are a lot of conflicting numbers in this report we see month over month gains on a seasonally adjusted basis it's down what.
The big take away for you.
Well I mean I think not Melissa dubbed the economy's a little schizophrenic having you can find good news you know bad news in the situation almost everything you look at we.
December was okay it wasn't great I mean we feel pretty good about some of the retail sales numbers the housing starts.
Factory output those things -- positive but that -- the downside is is that the fourth quarter is a whole.
Actually was down vis a vis the third quarter of of of 2012 and it was a it was a down considerably compared mobile.
To the last quarter of 2011.
So.
Again were kind of moving sideways and and we are not overly optimistic about where we're moving into Tony thirteen -- -- do you see this strength and where to see the weakness.
Well I mean obviously.
We we see a little strength in auto sales we see a little bit strength again in in the housing starts -- -- like I don't know how that will hold up in light of people -- slightly higher taxes as some of the things that are going on with the uncertainty.
Coming up on May eighteenth and how we deal with the debt ceiling the potential for.
The federal government to shut down and I think many people underestimate the significance of the federal government as a part of you know what drives -- the US economy.
So what could they be doing anything to make things better what -- what can turn things around from attracting perspective.
Well I think in recent history.
Any time are our leaders here in Washington make.
You know get a decision made.
Even if it's now what everybody likes or agrees with that the more certainty there is in the business community the more likely -- to see investment in people.
You know making plans about moving forward I mean I think it's too early to tell how how consumer confidence and consumer behaviors going to be impacted.
By the by the tax increases I mean everybody saw the 2% hit.
On the payroll tax say expiration.
What little less than 1% on the the health care cost so.
So we just don't know yet and that that impacts us directly because we move a lot of retail goods by truck.
But eat a lot of people out there think that the economy is getting better slowly but surely -- data not show that I mean especially when we look at -- seasonally adjusted.
Basis.
You know then then you seen.
Really numbers sinking.
Well the the the total tonnage that we moved in 2012 was up about 2.3 percent.
-- in 2011 it was up about five point 6% so we clearly saw a slow down.
From from from twelve to the verses eleven.
You know it's too early to say what we expect -- thirteen we actually expected to be pretty flat we only expect coming out of December to have about 1% GDP.
And it again if we just keep moving sideways and we don't gives -- -- good news out of our federal government we could move sideways throughout the year yeah.
All right so great thanks so much for come -- time -- that my pleasure Melissa.
