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actory orders rose for a third straight month, climbing 1.1% in December, led by an increase in automobile orders, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The gain followed a 3.3% surge in November and slightly exceeded economists’ forecasts of a 1.1% gain, Bloomberg reported.

The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.

Automobiles and auto parts orders rose 6.7% after falling 7.4% a month earlier.