Freight Transportation Index Rises on Trucking, Rail, Says DOT
The Department of Transportation’s freight transportation services index rose in July from the same month in 2014, driven upward from gains in trucking and rail carloads, DOT said Sept. 10.
The index increased 1.4% to a reading of 122.8 from the same time last year and rose 0.6% from June. DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said in its monthly report.
“The Freight TSI increase was part of broad economic growth in July that was reflected in several measures that impact transportation,” DOT said in a statement.
“Among the transportation modes, significant increases in trucking and rail carloads led the TSI Freight index upward along with a smaller increase in air freight. Water, pipeline and rail intermodal declined,” said DOT.
The rise continues a trend that began when the index peaked in November 2014 and has stayed between 0.5% and 2.1% of that high since then, according to BTS.
July’s reading was 0.5% below the all-time high of 123.5 set in November 2014. DOT uses a baseline reading of 100 from the year 2000.
The June index was revised down to 122.1 from 121.9.
The freight 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.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics