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Ontario truckers slightly optimistic everywhere but Ontario, US

The worst may be over for Canada's struggling economy, says the Ontario Trucking Association. The results of a Business Pulse e-Survey indicate “light trickling into the end of the recessionary tunnel.
Northern Ontario Business Staff

 
The worst may be over for Canada's struggling economy, says the Ontario Trucking Association.

The results of a Business Pulse e-Survey indicate “light trickling into the end of the recessionary tunnel.”

The survey of trucking companies conducted between July 6 and July 20 indicates this bellwether industry is less pessimistic heading into the year's third quarter.

Of the responding carriers, an equal number at 32 per cent are categorized as pessimistic and optimistic about the industry over the next three months. They had a 43 per cent pessimistic attitude only a few months ago.

Most (about 52 per cent) of the respondents felt that the Canadian economy has hit bottom. But a majority (54 per cent) of carriers still feel Ontario has not hit bottom. A bigger majority (66 per cent) still see further problems ahead for the US economy, which is clouding the outlook for Ontario's exports. Trucks haul about three-quarters of that trade.

OTA president David Bradley said that “while the results may indicate the economy is inching its way towards staunching the bleeding, things are still very uncertain, especially for Ontario.”