Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

DOT Freight Index Near All-Time High Despite Slight Drop

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Freight Transportation Services Index declined 0.9% in June from May, falling after four consecutive monthly increases, according to numbers released Wednesday.

by Staff
August 13, 2014
DOT Freight Index Near All-Time High Despite Slight Drop

Five Years: Freight Transportation Services Index, June 2009 - June 2014. Graphic: U.S. DOT

2 min to read


The U.S. Transportation Department’s Freight Transportation Services Index declined 0.9% in June from May, falling after four consecutive monthly increases, according to numbers released Wednesday.

Ad Loading...

The June 2014 index level of 119.1 is still 25.9% above the April 2009 low during the most recent recession and very close to the all-time high reached this past May, which was revised downward to 120 from an earlier reported 120.2.

Ad Loading...

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

Five Years: Freight Transportation Services Index, June 2009 - June 2014. Graphic: U.S. DOT

The index for each freight mode declined in June with the largest drop in pipelines. The declines took place when construction spending, which often is a driver of transportation shipments, declined in June after several months of increases, according to DOT. Construction spending declined although there was growth in several other economic indicators.

Despite the decrease, the freight index was higher in each month of the second quarter of 2014 than it was in any month of the first quarter of 2014 when weather impacted transportation. The Freight TSI rose 0.2% in the April to June period after falling 0.2% in the first quarter.

June was also the third consecutive month in which the index reached the levels that had been attained prior to the weather-related downturn in the early part of the year, even though the June index was below the level reached in the previous two months.

Year-to-date freight shipments measured by the index were virtually unchanged in June compared to the end of 2013.

Ad Loading...

June 2014 freight shipments were up 2.8% from June 2013

Freight shipments are up 24.1% in the five years from the post-recession level of June 2009 and are up 7.5% in the 10 years from June 2004. 

More Fleet Management

ATA President Chris Spear.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 17, 2026

ATA’s Spear Warns Fuel Prices, Trade Policy, and Global Conflict Could Stall Trucking Recovery

Speaking at the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, ATA President Chris Spear said trucking faces mounting pressure from rising fuel prices, geopolitical instability, and uncertainty around trade policy.

Read More →
Illustration of author headshot with black-and-white old-fashioned rig in the background

New Entrants, Chameleon Carriers, and Safety: Is It Too Easy to Start a Trucking Company?

More than 100,000 new trucking companies enter the industry each year, but regulators manage to audit only a fraction of them. That churn creates opportunities for inexperienced startups — and for “chameleon carriers” that shut down after safety violations and reappear under new identities. Read more from Deborah Lockridge in this commentary.

Read More →
Panel discussion
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 12, 2026

Fleet Managers Invited to Apply for Exclusive HDT Exchange Event

HDTX is an intimate event that connects heavy-duty trucking fleet managers with industry suppliers through small-group discussions, educational sessions, and structured one-on-one meetings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
DAT iPhone Widget.
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

DAT Launches iPhone Widget to Help Owner-Operators Find Loads Faster

New DAT One feature shows top-paying loads directly on an iPhone’s home screen, helping carriers react faster to spot-market opportunities.

Read More →
Optimal Dynamics Scale screen shot
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 12, 2026

Optimal Dynamics Launches AI System to Help Carriers Choose Better Freight

Optimal Dynamics says its new Scale platform uses AI agents and optimization to help carriers find and secure freight that improves network balance and profitability.

Read More →
DAT March 2026 trucking conditions.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 12, 2026

DAT: Flatbed Demand Climbs as Van and Reefer Rates Soften

DAT Freight & Analytics data shows tightening flatbed capacity, easing produce markets, and softening van and reefer rates.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
YouTube thumbnail with Mike Roeth of NACFE saying "NACFE's Messy Middle: Which Fuel Wins?"
Fuel Smartsby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Run on Less “Messy Middle” Data Shows Multiple Paths Forward for Truck Powertrains [Watch]

NACFE's Run on Less - Messy Middle project demonstrates the power of data in helping to guide the future of alternative fuels and powertrains for heavy-duty trucks.

Read More →
Illustration of crowded New York street overlaid with dollar signs
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeMarch 11, 2026

Federal Court Lets NYC Congestion Pricing Continue

A federal court ruling allows New York City’s congestion pricing program to continue, leaving truck tolls in place for fleets delivering into Manhattan.

Read More →
Fontaine Modification Access365
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseMarch 10, 2026

Fontaine Modification Launches Real-Time Truck Modification Tracking Portal

Fontaine Modification has introduced a new customer portal designed to give fleets real-time visibility into the truck modification process, addressing one of the most common questions fleet managers face: “Where’s my truck?”

Read More →
Ad Loading...
FTR Tucking Conditions March 2026.
Fleet Managementby Jack RobertsMarch 10, 2026

FTR: Trucking Conditions Index Climbs to Highest Level Since 2022

Strong freight rates, rising volumes and tighter capacity push trucking conditions higher, though diesel prices could temper gains in the near term, FTR cautions.

Read More →