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December 15, 2006 8:45 AM, EST

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.S. consumer prices were unchanged in November following a 0.5% dip in October, the Labor Department said Friday.

The so-called “core” consumer price index excluding food and energy was also unchanged, from October, Labor said.

Economists had expected both the CPI and the core rate to rise by 0.2%, Bloomberg reported.

The CPI is the government's broadest gauge of costs for goods and services. Almost 60% of the CPI covers prices consumers pay for services.

If consumer prices are climbing, it could reflect an increase in demand for consumer goods, which increases the demand for trucking services.

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