The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported this week that its Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) decreased 1.2 percent from March to April.
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 April Freight TSI at 112.4 is 18.5 percent higher than April 2009’s low point of 94.8 during the recession. And it added that the level of freight shipments was 2.4 percent less than the all-time high of 115.2 from December 2011.
The Freight TSI in April was down for the first time in six months
BTS officials attributed April’s decrease was due to declines in shipments by water, pipeline shipments, and intermodal rail. And they added that waterborne freight reductions in April were partially due to floods and barge accidents that interfered with river operations.