Remember hearing about freight conditions improving the last two months of 2009, rising to their highest levels since February 2009? January 2010 reports are even better.

The American Truckings Association’s seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index increased 3.1 percent last month. That’s on top of the good news in December ‘09, when tonnage levels rose by 1.3 percent.

January’s numbers represent the “best year-over-year reading since January 2005,” according to the ATA.

Bob Costello, the ATA’s Chief Economist, says the January tonnage report, along what he’s hearing from carriers, shows that the economy and the industry as a whole are on their way back.

“While I don’t expect tonnage to continue growing as robustly as it did in January, the industry is finally moving in the right direction. Although there are still risks that could throw the rebound off track, the likelihood of that happening continues to diminish,” he says.

We’d like to know; what has your personal experience with freight volume been like in January? Do you agree that freight levels are on an upward trend?