September 6, 2006 10:45 AM, EDT

DOT’s Transportation Services Index Declines for July

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he U.S. Transportation Department’s transportation services index fell 0.4% in July from June and the freight index also declined, DOT said Tuesday.

The July reading was the second consecutive drop this year, DOT said.

The freight index fell 0.8% from June, following a 0.5% decline. Year over year, the index posted its smallest increase since no change in 2001, rising to 111.7 from 111.6 in July.

For the first seven months of 2006, the TSI rose 0.9%, the third consecutive December-to-July increase.

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.