Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

For-Hire Freight Posts 2% Decline for Last Year

The amount of freight moved by the nation’s for-hire sector fell in both the final month of last year and all of 2015, according to the U.S. Transportation Department.

Evan Lockridge
Evan LockridgeFormer Business Contributing Editor
February 10, 2016
For-Hire Freight Posts 2% Decline for Last Year

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

2 min to read


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

The amount of freight moved by the nation’s for-hire sector fell in both the final month of last year and all of 2015, according to the U.S. Transportation Department.

Ad Loading...

The Freight Transportation Services Index declined 0.4% in December from November, the second consecutive monthly decline and the first back-to-back drop since February 2015, while it was 2.3% below the all-time high level of 123.8 in November 2014.

Ad Loading...

The November index was revised downward to 121.5 from 122.0 in last month’s release with smaller downward revisions for August through October.

For all of 2015 the index measured 121, down 2% from the year before and the first year-over-year decline since 2012, when it registered 112.2, but is up from a reading of 118.2 in 2013.

The December decline was broad in terms of the different transportation modes with all of them falling except for trucking, which increased slightly, according to the department. The decrease was driven by weakness in the mining, including oil and gas well drilling and servicing, utility and manufacturing sectors of the economy.

The fourth-quarter TSI decline of 1.2% from the third quarter matched trends in the larger economy and the largest quarterly decline since the first quarter of 2012. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth decreased to the relatively slow quarterly rate of 0.2% (which is equivalent to an annual rate of 0.7%) while a measure of industrial production  also declined during the fourth quarter. The freight TSI also declined in three of the four quarters of 2015.

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.

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 →