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.S. consumer confidence fell to a nine-month low in August, the New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday.

The board’s index dropped to 99.6 from 107.0 in July, the group said in its monthly report. The decline is the largest since last September, when the index plummeted after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

The August level was below economists’ estimates of a 102.7 level, Bloomberg reported.

The consumer confidence index is a predictor of consumer spending. When people are feeling less confident about the economy, they are less likely to spend money, which decreases demand for trucking services.

The survey’s present-situation index fell to 123.4 from 134.2. A gauge of consumer expectations for the next six months fell to 83.8 from 88.9.

Every month the Conference Board surveys 5,000 households on general economic conditions, their employment prospects and spending plans.