The American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently reported that its seasonally-adjusted for-hire Truck Tonnage index was up 1.7 percent in September.

This monthly figure follows a 1.9 decline in August and a 0.7 gain in July.

The September index was 113.1, which was slightly higher than August’s 111.1. The ATA noted that the September’s rise was the best month-to-month gain since April, when tonnage went up 2.0 percent.

Compared to a year ago, the truck tonnage index is off 1.7 percent. And year-to-date, the index is down 1.9 percent compared with the same time period in 2005.

“Even though truck tonnage improved in September, it’s easy to see that the pattern of starts and stops, which began in April, continued last month,” said ATA Chief Economist BobCostello in a press release. “After falling sharply in the first quarter, freight volumes have been on a seesaw pattern in the last two quarters.”

The ATA’s monthly tonnage index is based on membership surveys and includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons, and key financial indicators.