Freight Transportation Services Index, January 2010 - January 2015. Graphic: U.S. DOT

Freight Transportation Services Index, January 2010 - January 2015. Graphic: U.S. DOT

The amount of freight moved by the nation’s for-hire transportation industry fell slightly in January from the month before, but remains close to its record high level.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Freight Transportation Services Index declined 0.2% from December to 122.9, the second consecutive monthly drop. The level of freight shipments in January was also just 0.6% below the all-time high level of 123.6 in November 2014.

Compared to January 2014, the level in the first month of this year is 5.6% higher.

The November level was revised down from 123.9 to 123.6 while December was revised lower from 123.8 to 123.1. There were also smaller downward revisions for August through October.

Rail carloads, rail intermodal, and pipeline grew in January while air freight, trucking and waterborne freight transportation decreased, resulting in the continuing decline in the overall freight index, according to the U.S. DOT.

According to the report, freight shipments are up 19% in the five years from the post-recession level of January 2010 and are up 7.6% in the 10 years from January 2005. January’s performance is also 29.9% higher than the recent low in April 2009 during the recession when the index registered 94.6.

The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments by mode of transportation in tons and ton-miles, which are combined into one index. The index measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.

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Evan Lockridge

Evan Lockridge

Former Business Contributing Editor

Trucking journalist since 1990, in the news business since early ‘80s.

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