Bruce Harmon/Trans PixsThe Cass Freight Index, which measures shipment activity in trucking and other transport modes, grew 0.5% in February from the year-earlier period.
The report from Cass Information Systems, St. Louis, on March 5 also noted a 5.6% improvement in shipping activity in February over January 2013.
The month-to-month rise was tied to strong showings from rail with carloading up 3.7% and intermodal units up 6.9% over the prior four weeks, the index said.