The Transportation Services Index (TSI) for freight fell 1.4 percent in November from the October level, declining for the fifth time in six months to drop to its lowest level since January 2004.
The Department of Transportation reported that the November freight index of 107.6 was down 4.7 percent from its peak of 112.8 in January 2005. The Freight TSI November 2006 level of 107.6 was the lowest November level since 2003.
The Freight TSI November 2006 level fell 4.1 percent from the November 2005 level, the first decline from November of the previous year since 2001, the largest decline since 2000 and the second largest decline in the last 10 years.
During the first 11 months of 2006, the Freight TSI fell 3.0 percent, the first decline in the December-to-November period since 2001, the largest decline since 2000 and the second largest decline in the last 10 years.
TSI is a single seasonally adjusted index of the month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by the for-hire transportation industries, including railroad, air, truck, inland waterways, pipeline, and local transit.