Freight trend is higher despite August decline.The Freight Transportation Services Index fell 0.6 percent in August from July, declining after two monthly increases, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Oct. 14.
BTS reported the Freight TSI has risen 4.4 percent over the last 15 months, after declining 15.3 percent in the previous 10 months. The index has increased in 12 of the last 15 months. Through the first eight months of 2010, however, the index declined 1.9 percent. For additional historic data, go to www.bts.gov/xml/tsi/src/index.xml.
The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments in ton-miles, which are then combined into one index. The index measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.
The August Freight TSI of 97.6 is a 4.4 percent increase from the recent low of 93.5 in May 2009. In May 2009, the index was at its lowest level since June 1997. The August Freight TSI is down 13.5 percent from its peak of 112.9 in May 2006.
