91ÊÓƵ

Durable goods orders grew 2.5% in March, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The increase, which is the third consecutive gain, followed a revised 0.7% rise in February that was originally reported as a 0.6% decrease.

The March gain was higher than analysts’ forecasts of a 2.3% increase, Bloomberg reported.

Orders excluding transportation equipment grew 1.3%, the best performance this year, Bloomberg said.

Durable goods include large items such as refrigerators and air conditioners. Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling both components and finished goods.