According to the US Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics' (BTS) Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) released Wednesday, the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry rose 0.5 percent in February from January. The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments by mode of transportation in ton-miles, which are then combined into one index.
Shipments in February 2012 were at the second highest level since the early recession month of April 2008 despite the 3 percent decline from December 2011, which was the highest level in the 22-year history of the series.
February 2012 freight shipments rose 3.6 percent from February 2011 and 10.5 percent from February 2009 but remain below the level of February 2008.