Factory orders jumped 3.1% in March, the biggest gain in a year, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.
The increase followed a revised 1.4% upturn in February that was originally reported as a 1% gain, Commerce said.
The increase was higher than economists’ forecasts of a 2.2% drop, Bloomberg reported.
Excluding transportation orders, bookings rose 1.9%. Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, rose 3.7% after a 2.3% increase February.
The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.
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