Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Consumer Confidence Improves, Producer Prices Jump

Consumer confidence rebounded this month, with more people expecting increases in their wages, according to the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers released Friday.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
June 12, 2015
Consumer Confidence Improves, Producer Prices Jump

 

3 min to read


Consumer confidence rebounded this month, with more people expecting increases in their wages, according to the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers released Friday..

Ad Loading...

The measure climbed to 94.6, up from a final reading in May of 90.7, which was the lowest in six months. The 4.3% month-to-month increase was far lower, however, than the 14.7% month-to-month gain at the same time last year.

Ad Loading...

Readings from consumers about current economic conditions, as well as their expectations for the future, also posted strong gains from May and a year earlier.

“The June gain was due to the most favorable personal financial prospects since 2007, with households expecting the largest wage gains since 2008,” said Surveys of Consumers Chief Economist Richard Curtin. “Just as importantly, consumers expected the inflation rate to remain low over the foreseeable future."

He said the expectation of rising interest rates has caused consumers to view current rates as attractively low, but it has not yet prompted the belief that it would be better to borrow in advance of future increases.

“The development of borrow-in-advance rationales will critically depend on how consumers judge the pace of future rate hikes,” Curtin said. “Stabilizing consumer demand at the favorable levels now anticipated for the balance of 2015 would require a very slow pace of small rate hikes. Any resurgence in advance borrowing will require sizable expected increases in interest rates as well as continued strong income gains.”

Overall, the June figures are consistent with a 3% annual growth rate in real personal consumption expenditures during 2015, according to the survey’s analysis.

Ad Loading...

Producer Prices Post Biggest Increase Since May 2012

Meantime, a separate report from the U.S. Labor Department shows prices at the wholesale level in May increased the most in three years.

The 0.5% jump in the Producer Price Index from April was only the second monthly increase in the past seven months.

The May hike was led by higher prices for diesel, gasoline and jet fuel, while some food prices contributed as well, with egg prices leaping more than 50% and certain fish prices nearly doubling.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the core PPI rose just 0.1%, after falling 0.2% in April.

Ad Loading...

Core inflation is up 0.6% over the past 12 months, down from a 0.8% pace reported at the start of the second quarter.

“Producer prices edged higher in May, easing concerns of further deflation in the second quarter,” said Stifel Chief Economist Lindsey Piegza. "However, given the extreme decline in prices over recent time, it will take more than a few stronger-than-expected monthly gains to reverse the negative trend in inflation. As much as the Federal Reserve remains committed to a 2% target, since 2011, price pressures have continued to evade that preferred level.”

She said that both the headline PPI and the Consumer Price Index remain firmly in negative territory, and pointed to a minimal rise in the personal consumption expenditures, saying the Fed will find it difficult to be reasonably confident in a near-term reversal in price pressures.

More Fleet Management

Illustration showing generic graphs and stylized trucking fleet
Fleet Managementby StaffMarch 24, 2026

ACT: Trucking Volumes Rise, Capacity Tightens as Fuel Prices Cloud Outlook

ACT Research data shows volumes hitting a four-year high and supply-demand balance strengthening, but higher oil prices are undercutting tariff relief and tempering optimism.

Read More →
People looking at Wabash display at TMC
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 23, 2026

Wabash Teams Physical Security With Digital Tech For Better Cargo Visibility

The patent-pending cargo solution integrates a digitally connected cargo door and an intelligent locking system with the TrailerHawk.AI technology platform.

Read More →
Cyberstop column header depicting images related to cybersecurity and rising oil prices
Fleet Managementby Ben WilkensMarch 20, 2026

From Diesel Prices to Cyberattacks: How the Iran War Is Affecting Trucking

The impact of the Iran conflict extends beyond fuel costs, bringing more fraud and cybersecurity risks to the trucking industry.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ATA President Chris Spear.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 17, 2026

ATA’s Spear Warns Fuel Prices, Trade Policy, and Global Conflict Could Stall Trucking Recovery

Speaking at the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, ATA President Chris Spear said trucking faces mounting pressure from rising fuel prices, geopolitical instability, and uncertainty around trade policy.

Read More →
Illustration of author headshot with black-and-white old-fashioned rig in the background

New Entrants, Chameleon Carriers, and Safety: Is It Too Easy to Start a Trucking Company?

More than 100,000 new trucking companies enter the industry each year, but regulators manage to audit only a fraction of them. That churn creates opportunities for inexperienced startups — and for “chameleon carriers” that shut down after safety violations and reappear under new identities. Read more from Deborah Lockridge in this commentary.

Read More →
Panel discussion
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 12, 2026

Fleet Managers Invited to Apply for Exclusive HDT Exchange Event

HDTX is an intimate event that connects heavy-duty trucking fleet managers with industry suppliers through small-group discussions, educational sessions, and structured one-on-one meetings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
DAT iPhone Widget.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

DAT Launches iPhone Widget to Help Owner-Operators Find Loads Faster

New DAT One feature shows top-paying loads directly on an iPhone’s home screen, helping carriers react faster to spot-market opportunities.

Read More →
Optimal Dynamics Scale screen shot
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

Optimal Dynamics Launches AI System to Help Carriers Choose Better Freight

Optimal Dynamics says its new Scale platform uses AI agents and optimization to help carriers find and secure freight that improves network balance and profitability.

Read More →
DAT March 2026 trucking conditions.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 12, 2026

DAT: Flatbed Demand Climbs as Van and Reefer Rates Soften

DAT Freight & Analytics data shows tightening flatbed capacity, easing produce markets, and softening van and reefer rates.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
YouTube thumbnail with Mike Roeth of NACFE saying "NACFE's Messy Middle: Which Fuel Wins?"
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Run on Less “Messy Middle” Data Shows Multiple Paths Forward for Truck Powertrains [Watch]

NACFE's Run on Less - Messy Middle project demonstrates the power of data in helping to guide the future of alternative fuels and powertrains for heavy-duty trucks.

Read More →