While there are a number of economic indicators used to gauge the economy, one of the more interesting is the Pulse of Commerce Index. The index seeks to measure real time economic activity by tracking diesel fuel purchases across the country.
The Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index derived by UCLA Anderson School of Management is based on real-time fuel consumption data for over the road trucking and serves as an indicator of the current state and possible future direction of the U.S. economy. By tracking the volume and location of diesel fuel being purchased, the index closely monitors the over the road movement of produce, raw materials, goods-in-process and finished goods to U.S. factories, retailers and consumers. Working with economists at UCLA Anderson School of Management and Charles River Associates, Ceridian publicly releases the Index monthly and also offers companies access to customized reports and data. The index has been relatively flat since the middle of 2010, which confirms the slow level of US economic growth. The link to the index is below.
http://www.ceridianindex.com/
