BTS reports a decrease in Freight TSI in January

The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that its Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) fell 3.6 percent from December to January.

This follows a 3.9 percent gain from November to December along with gains in the previous four months.

According to BTS officials, the Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments in ton-miles, which are then 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.

The BTS said that the January Freight TSI at 109.7 is down from December’s 113.7, which is an all-time high.

And the BTS added that despite being down compared to December, January shipments are at the second highest level since July 2008, which marks the highest Freight TSI level in its 22-year history.

Following an April 2009 recent low of 94.3, freight shipments have been up in 23 of the last 33 months and have increased 16.3 percent during that time, according to BTS.