The Freight Transportation Services Index rose 1.5 percent in December from its November level, rising after one monthly decline, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today.


BTS reported that the Freight TSI rose 6.9 percent over the last 19 months, starting in June 2009, after declining 15.3 percent in the previous 10 months beginning in August 2008. The index has increased in 14 of the last 19 months. In 2010, the index increased 0.4 percent.

The December Freight TSI of 100.0 is a 6.9 percent increase from the recent low of 93.5 reached in May 2009. In May 2009, the index was at its lowest level since June 1997. The December Freight TSI is down 11.4 percent from its historic peak of 112.9 reached in May 2006.

Although the index rose 0.4 percent from December 2009 to December 2010, it remains below the level of every other December since 2001 when it was 97.4. January 2010 was the first month since July 2008 in which the Freight TSI exceeded the level of the same month of the previous year. The index has exceeded the previous year's level every month since January but still remains below the level of years before the most recent year.

With next month's release, BTS will conduct a comprehensive revision, delayed one month from the previously announced revision. The revision will result in changes to the 2010 numbers, especially for those months that have not undergone the monthly revision and are currently classified as preliminary.

More info: BTS Tables.