DOT Freight Transportation Index Rises to Second-Highest Level
The Department of Transportation’s freight transportation services index rose 3.1% in March from the same month in 2014, to the second highest level on record, DOT said May 13.
March’s reading of 122.9 was 0.4% below the all-time high of 123.4 set in November. DOT uses a baseline reading of 100 from the year 2000.
The freight TSI increased 1.7% from February, DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said in its monthly report.
“In March, the Freight TSI recovered from its decline in February to almost equal the levels of January and December. The March increase was the largest monthly increase since July 2014 and brought the index to its second highest level ever,” DOT said in a statement.
“The net change for the first quarter of 2015 was an increase of 0.2%, following two quarters of faster growth. After dipping to 94.6 in April 2009, the index rose 29.9% in the succeeding 71 months,” DOT said.
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.
U.S. Department of Transportation