According to GE Capital's Spring 2013 Truck Transportation Research Update, public carrier earnings during Q1 2013 were generally positive and driven by rising freight volume coupled with moderating fuel costs.

However, the reports cites the fact that Industry executives remain somewhat cautious about the near-term outlook and are on the lookout for signs of weakness from the full effects of the federal budget sequester as well as the potential for operational inefficiencies due to more restrictive hours-of-service (“HOS”) rules.

According to the report, many economists maintain a bias toward accelerating economic growth in the latter part of the year assuming that the economy digests the affects of the sequester, private employment trends remain positive and energy prices remain subdued.

To read the full GE Capital Spring 2013 Truck Transportation Research Update, click here.