October 7, 2005 8:00 AM, EDT

DOT's Transportation Services Index Declines

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he Department of Transportation said Thursday that its transportation services index for July fell 0.3% from June, the second consecutive decline.

The July index fell to 111.6, DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said in its monthly report.

The TSI for freight fell 0.6% to 111.9 in July from June, also the second straight monthly decline.

Compared with the same month a year ago, the overall TSI rose 2.3% while the freight index increased 0.9%, DOT said.

TSI is a seasonally adjusted monthly index measuring the output of services provided by the for-hire transportation industries, including railroad, air, truck, inland waterways, pipeline and local transit.

It includes data dating back to 1990, with changes measured against the base year of 1996. DOT said the index is still under development and is considered experimental.