Freight and Distribution

The Reuters and the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its preliminary index of sentiment for October fell to 69.4, from September’s 73.5.

LTL freight quotes:

For the most part, the stock market has ignored some of the underlying fundamentals of the marketplace. Consumer spending accounts for more than 70% of the U.S. economy, and is truly the primary engine for sustaining economic recovery. This figure should provide a signal to analysts that the consumer is still under intense pressure. A wave of bad news from housing prices, unemployment, worsening credit conditions which tighten lending, and now slightly increasing gas prices have all worked together to affect consumer sentiment.