The Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportations Statistics' (BTS) Freight Transportation Index (TSI) indicated that in October, the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry fell 1.9 percent from September. October 2012 freight shipments fell 1.6 percent from October 2011. 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.
The Freight TSI declined in October 2012, at least in part a result of Hurricane Sandy, which depressed both truck and freight rail traffic. Both rail freight and trucking showed significant declines. Freight shipments are also down 2 percent in the five years from the pre-recession level of October 2007 but are up 3.3 percent in the 10 years from October 2002 despite declines in recent years.