Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

For-Hire Freight Shipments Rebound in May

A measure of for-hire freight movements in the U.S. increased in May following an April decline, according to a new U.S. Transportation Department report.

by Staff
July 9, 2015
For-Hire Freight Shipments Rebound in May

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

2 min to read


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

A measure of for-hire freight movements in the U.S. increased in May following an April decline, according to a new U.S. Transportation Department report.

The Freight Transportation Services Index rose 0.8% to 122.7 on seasonally-adjusted basis, just 0.5% below the all-time high level of 123.3 in November 2014.

Ad Loading...

The April index was revised upward to 121.7 from 120.4 in last month’s release but remains below the March index. The indexes for December through March were also revised up slightly.

Compared to May 2014 freight shipments are up 1.7%.

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

Ad Loading...

According to the report, there was a large increase in trucking during May, reversing an overall April decline of 1.8%. Waterborne also rose along with a smaller increase in pipeline. These increases outweighed declines in air freight, rail carloads, and rail intermodal to produce the rise in the overall freight index in May.

This happened as personal income and employment increased in May while the U.S. Federal Reserve’s industrial production index and manufacturers’ shipments declined. Also, revised data indicates that the nation’s gross domestic product, a measure of the total output of goods and services, declined in the first quarter of 2015, when the growth of the freight TSI slowed.

Freight shipments are up 15.4% in the five years from the post-recession level of May 2010 and are up 9.2% in the 10 years from May 2005.

More Fleet Management

HDT Talks Trucking YouTube thumbnail with host Deborah Lockridge and guest Bill Cain of TMW
Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•November 5, 2026

Does Your Trucking Fleet Need a New TMS? [Video]

Cloud technology, AI and new integrations are changing what transportation management systems can do. But does taking advantage of those advances mean replacing your existing TMS?

Read More →
Saegic TrackRR Gateway solar-powered trailer telematics device shown alongside screenshots of the Saegic Cloud Platform displaying trailer location, tire monitoring, and equipment status.
Fleet Management•November 4, 2026

Road Ready Becomes Saegic, Launches New Trailer Telematics Gateway

Clarience Technologies is rolling out new hardware and expanding its plans for connecting trailer telematics, maintenance data, and video.

Read More →
HDT Cyber Stop graphic pairing a laptop displaying binary code with a person using a clipboard to inspect a truck chassis, against a background of padlock icons.
Fleet Management•November 2, 2026

Give Your Trucking Fleet a Cybersecurity Walkaround

Your fleet's cybersecurity policies may look good on paper. These seven checks can help you find out whether they’re working.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Western Star pulling double trailers in the Permian Basic for Atlas Energy Solutions
Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•October 30, 2026

Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking

An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.

Read More →
Illustration with Star of David and EEOC logo
Fleet Management•by News/Media Release•October 28, 2026

ITS Logistics Settles Religious Harassment Case

The Nevada-based logistics firm agreed to pay more than $396,000 to settle a religious harassment charge involving an employee's Jewish identity.

Read More →
Truck on divided interstate highway driving toward sunrise
Fleet Management•October 27, 2026

Your Trucks Are Busy. That Doesn’t Mean They’re Winning.

High utilization doesn’t always mean strong margins. Looking beyond the current load can help fleets make better dispatch decisions and get more value from each truck’s time.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
ATA economist Bob Costello speaking beside a graph showing truckload operating costs rising as freight revenue per mile declined after 2022.
Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•October 22, 2026

Why This Trucking Recovery Is Different

Freight demand remains sluggish, but rising costs and tougher enforcement have taken enough capacity out of the market to change the outlook for motor carriers.

Read More →
PS Coach tablet interface showing a driver’s coaching inbox, safety event video and coaching advice for a harsh-braking event.
Fleet Management•by News/Media Release•October 21, 2026

Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools

Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.

Read More →
Screen capture showing PrePass Intelligence data on tolls
Fleet Management•by News/Media Release•October 21, 2026

PrePass Intelligence Mines Fleet Bypass, Toll and Safety Data

PrePass Intelligence helps fleets measure bypass savings, flag potential toll overcharges, and spot suspicious transactions by combining data from separate systems.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Computer screen showing examples of what fleets could ask Motive AI Agents to do
Fleet Management•by Staff•October 20, 2026

Motive Adds AI Agents for Fleet Operations

New tools automate follow-up on fleet data, from maintenance work orders to driver alerts, with two-way voice conversations planned for later this year.

Read More →