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May 28, 2004 9:00 AM, EDT

American Trucking Associations’ monthly truck tonnage index rose 2.2% to a record high in April, the group said Thursday.

The increase boosted the index to 160.8, ATA said. Freight levels from 1993 represent 100 in the index.

“There’s a significant amount of freight to be hauled from this much-stronger economy,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello, “so it’s no surprise that truck tonnage was robust in April.”

ATA said that in 2003, trucks hauled 9 billion tons of freight last year, 68.9% of all freight hauled in the United States. Trucking companies collected $610 billion from shippers in 2003, 86.9% of all the revenue generated by transportation companies.

ATA calculates its tonnage index based on surveys of its members. ATA said it has more than 37,000 members, representing every sector of the trucking industry.