Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) Unchanged in
June from May
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BTS 38-09
Dave Smallen
202-366-5568 |
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) was unchanged in June from
its May level, remaining at its lowest level in 12 years, the U.S. Department
of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today (Table 1).
BTS, a part of
the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the Freight
TSI has declined in all but two of the last 11 months (Table 2). The index has
declined 14.8 percent in that 11-month period. For additional historical data, go to http://www.bts.gov/xml/tsi/src/index.xml.
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 June
Freight TSI of 94.0 is the same as in May, remaining at its lowest level since
June 1997 when it was 92.4. The Freight TSI is down 16.7 percent from its
historic peak of 112.9 reached in May 2006.
The 6.3 percent
decline in the first six months of 2009 was the largest in the last decade,
exceeding the 4.6 percent decline for the first six months of 2000 (Table 3).
The 14.2 percent decline in the
Freight TSI from June 2008 to June 2009 was the largest June-to-June decline in
the 20 years for which the TSI is calculated (Table 4).
The freight
index is also down 14.7 percent in the five years from June 2004, the ninth
consecutive month in which the index declined for a five-year period. The number of consecutive five-year declines
was revised from previous releases due to downward revisions in the freight
index for the last three months of 2008. The index is down 8.1 percent in 10 years for the sixth-ever 10-year
decline in the 20-year history of TSI data (Table 5). All these 10-year declines took place in
first six months of 2009.
The TSI is a seasonally adjusted
index that measures changes from the monthly average of the base year of
2000. It includes historic data from
1990 to the present. Release of the July index is scheduled for Sept. 10.
BTS has issued
a report explaining the TSI. Transportation Services Index and the Economy is available for download in the BTS
bookstore.
Transportation Services
Index for Passengers
The TSI for passengers fell 0.3 percent
in June from its May level (Table 6). The Passenger TSI June 2009 level of 109.1 was 7.2 percent below the June
2008 level, the largest June-to-June decrease in the 20-year history of the
series, exceeding the 5.9 percent decrease in 2002 to which the Sept. 11, 2001
terrorist attack contributed (Table 7). Despite recent declines, the index is
up 4.8 percent in five years and 16.1 percent in 10 years (Table 5).
The passenger TSI measures the
month-to-month changes in travel conducted in the for-hire passenger
transportation sector. The seasonally
adjusted index consists of data from air, local transit and intercity rail.
Combined Freight and Passenger Index
The combined
freight and passenger TSI fell 0.1 percent in June from its May level (Table 8).
The combined TSI June 2009 level of 97.3 was 12.5 percent lower than the June
2008 level, leaving the index at its lowest June level since 1997 (Table 9).
The combined index is down 10.2 percent in five years for the seventh five-year
decline in the history of the combined index, and is down 2.2 percent in 10
years for the fourth-ever 10-year decline in the index (Table 5). All the five-year and 10-year declines took
place consecutively in the past several months.
The combined TSI
merges the freight and passenger indexes into a single index.
2nd Quarter Changes
On a
quarterly basis, the Freight TSI fell 1.6 percent in the second quarter, for
the fifth consecutive quarterly decline based on data from the Bi-Annual
Revision (Table 10). The Passenger TSI rose
0.2 percent in the second quarter, the first increase after three quarterly
decreases (Table 11). The Combined TSI
fell 1.2 percent in the second quarter, falling for the sixth consecutive
quarter based on data from the Bi-Annual Revision (Table 12).
More on TSI
NOTE: TSI numbers for February (Freight, Passenger and Combined)
were revised because of revisions in the output data of the component
transportation services. The February Freight TSI is 98.9, revised from the 99.1 reported in last month’s release. The February
Passenger TSI is 109.5, revised from 110.2.
The February Combined TSI is 101.2, revised from 101.6. The TSI for March, April, May and June are preliminary.
TSI
revision policy: TSI is updated monthly with the latest four months’ index
numbers considered preliminary. Each month BTS releases the latest
preliminary TSI, and replaces the oldest preliminary TSI with a revised
TSI. More information about the monthly revision policy, is available at http://www.bts.gov/xml/tsi/src/index.xml.
More information about the
comprehensive revision conducted with the July release is provided under 2009
Comprehensive Revision at http://www.bts.gov/xml/tsi/src/index.xml.
Table 1: Freight,
Passenger and Combined Transportation Services Indexes since December 2008
Percent Change by
Month
(Seasonally Adjusted,
Monthly Average of 2000 = 100)
Excel | CSV
December |
100.3 |
-2.8 |
110.8 |
-0.9 |
102.6 |
-2.4 |
January |
97.8 |
-2.5 |
110.0 |
-0.7 |
100.5 |
-2.1 |
FebruaryR |
98.9 |
1.0 |
109.5 |
-0.4 |
101.2 |
0.7 |
MarchP |
95.6 |
-3.3 |
108.8 |
-0.6 |
98.5 |
-2.7 |
AprilP |
94.6 |
-1.0 |
110.3 |
1.4 |
98.1 |
-0.4 |
MayP |
94.0 |
-0.6 |
109.4 |
-0.9 |
97.4 |
-0.7 |
JuneP |
94.0 |
0.0 |
109.1 |
-0.3 |
97.3 |
-0.1 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary; R =
revised
NOTE: Percent changes based
on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 2: Freight
Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2006-2009
Percent change from
previous month
Excel | CSV
January |
0.3 |
-0.6 |
2.3 |
-2.5 |
February |
-1.4 |
-0.3 |
-0.9 |
(R) 1.0 |
March |
0.7 |
1.9 |
-1.4 |
(P) -3.3 |
April |
-0.4 |
-0.7 |
0.6 |
(P) -1.0 |
May |
2.3 |
-0.4 |
0.0 |
(P) -0.6 |
June |
-0.8 |
-1.0 |
-0.8 |
(P) 0.0 |
July |
-0.8 |
-0.3 |
0.8 |
|
August |
-2.3 |
0.7 |
-2.2 |
|
September |
2.5 |
-1.0 |
-1.6 |
|
October |
-1.5 |
1.7 |
-0.6 |
|
November |
-1.4 |
0.6 |
-2.2 |
|
December |
1.3 |
-0.1 |
-2.8 |
|
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary; R =
revised
Table 3: Freight, Passenger and Combined Transportation
Services Indexes Year-to-Date Change, 2000-2009
Percent change from December of previous year
December to June
Excel | CSV
2000 |
-4.6 |
5.1 |
-1.6 |
2001 |
0.9 |
-0.6 |
0.5 |
2002 |
4.1 |
3.4 |
3.9 |
2003 |
-1.4 |
-4.4 |
-2.2 |
2004 |
2.1 |
3.3 |
2.4 |
2005 |
0.1 |
2.2 |
0.7 |
2006 |
0.7 |
1.3 |
0.8 |
2007 |
-1.1 |
1.5 |
-0.5 |
2008 |
-0.3 |
-0.7 |
-0.4 |
2009P |
-6.3 |
-1.5 |
-5.1 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary
Table 4: Freight
Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year
Percent change in the June
Freight TSI
(Monthly average of
2000 = 100)
Excel | CSV
2000 |
100.2 |
-2.0 |
2001 |
98.8 |
-1.4 |
2002 |
101.5 |
2.7 |
2003 |
103.1 |
1.7 |
2004 |
110.2 |
6.9 |
2005 |
111.0 |
0.7 |
2006 |
111.9 |
0.9 |
2007 |
108.1 |
-3.4 |
2008 |
109.5 |
1.3 |
2009P |
94.0 |
-14.2 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary
NOTE: Percent changes based
on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 5:
Transportation Services Indexes from Previous Years
Percent Change to 2009 (June to June)
Excel | CSV
2008 |
1 |
-14.2 |
-7.2 |
-12.5 |
2007 |
2 |
-13.0 |
-6.3 |
-11.4 |
2006 |
3 |
-16.0 |
-1.5 |
-12.6 |
2005 |
4 |
-15.3 |
0.1 |
-11.7 |
2004 |
5 |
-14.7 |
4.8 |
-10.2 |
2003 |
6 |
-8.9 |
16.5 |
-2.9 |
2002 |
7 |
-7.4 |
15.6 |
-2.0 |
2001 |
8 |
-4.9 |
8.8 |
-2.0 |
2000 |
9 |
-6.2 |
9.0 |
-2.8 |
1999 |
10 |
-8.1 |
16.1 |
-2.2 |
SOURCE: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
NOTE: The percent changes to June 2009 are all
preliminary.
Table 6: Passenger
Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2006-2009
Percent change from
previous month
Excel | CSV
January |
1.3 |
0.3 |
-0.2 |
-0.7 |
February |
-0.1 |
-0.7 |
-1.0 |
(R) -0.4 |
March |
0.3 |
2.0 |
0.2 |
(P) -0.6 |
April |
0.5 |
-0.3 |
1.1 |
(P) 1.4 |
May |
0.2 |
2.4 |
-0.5 |
(P) -0.9 |
June |
-0.9 |
-2.1 |
-0.4 |
(P) -0.3 |
July |
0.2 |
-0.3 |
-0.2 |
|
August |
-0.9 |
1.0 |
-1.1 |
|
September |
1.1 |
1.4 |
-0.6 |
|
October |
1.3 |
-0.8 |
-1.4 |
|
November |
0.9 |
-0.5 |
-1.8 |
|
December |
1.0 |
0.9 |
-0.9 |
|
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary; R =
revised
Table 7: Passenger
Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year
Percent change in the June
Passenger TSI
(Monthly average of
2000 = 100)
Excel | CSV
2000 |
100.1 |
6.5 |
2001 |
100.3 |
0.2 |
2002 |
94.3 |
-5.9 |
2003 |
93.6 |
-0.7 |
2004 |
104.1 |
11.2 |
2005 |
109.0 |
4.7 |
2006 |
110.8 |
1.7 |
2007 |
116.4 |
5.1 |
2008 |
117.5 |
1.0 |
2009P |
109.1 |
-7.2 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary
NOTE: Percent changes based
on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 8: Combined Transportation
Services Index Monthly Changes, 2006-2009
Percent change from
previous month
Excel | CSV
January |
0.5 |
-0.4 |
1.7 |
-2.1 |
February |
-1.0 |
-0.4 |
-0.9 |
(R) 0.7 |
March |
0.6 |
1.9 |
-1.0 |
(P) -2.7 |
April |
-0.1 |
-0.6 |
0.7 |
(P) -0.4 |
May |
1.7 |
0.3 |
-0.1 |
(P) -0.7 |
June |
-0.8 |
-1.3 |
-0.7 |
(P) -0.1 |
July |
-0.6 |
-0.3 |
0.6 |
|
August |
-2.0 |
0.8 |
-2.0 |
|
September |
2.2 |
-0.4 |
-1.3 |
|
October |
-0.8 |
1.1 |
-0.8 |
|
November |
-0.9 |
0.3 |
-2.1 |
|
December |
1.2 |
0.2 |
-2.4 |
|
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary; R =
revised
Table 9: Combined Transportation
Services Index from Year-to-Year
Percent change in the June
Combined TSI
(Monthly average of
2000 = 100)
Excel | CSV
2000 |
100.2 |
0.6 |
2001 |
99.3 |
-0.9 |
2002 |
99.3 |
0.0 |
2003 |
100.3 |
1.0 |
2004 |
108.4 |
8.1 |
2005 |
110.2 |
1.7 |
2006 |
111.4 |
1.1 |
2007 |
109.9 |
-1.4 |
2008 |
111.2 |
1.2 |
2009P |
97.3 |
-12.5 |
SOURCE: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary
NOTE: Percent changes based
on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 10: Freight
Transportation Services Index Change by Quarter, 2000-2009
Percent change from
the last month of the previous quarter
Excel | CSV
2000 |
-5.1 |
0.5 |
-1.3 |
-1.0 |
2001 |
1.4 |
-0.5 |
-1.4 |
0.0 |
2002 |
1.3 |
2.8 |
1.1 |
1.9 |
2003 |
-1.4 |
0.0 |
1.3 |
3.3 |
2004 |
1.6 |
0.5 |
-0.3 |
0.8 |
2005 |
0.8 |
-0.7 |
-0.5 |
0.7 |
2006 |
-0.4 |
1.1 |
-0.7 |
-1.6 |
2007 |
0.9 |
-2.0 |
-0.6 |
2.2 |
2008 |
0.0 |
-0.3 |
-3.0 |
-5.5 |
2009 |
(P)
-4.8 |
(P)
-1.6 |
|
|
SOURCE: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary
Table 11:
Passenger Transportation Services Index Change by Quarter, 2000-2009
Percent change
from the last month of the previous quarter
Excel | CSV
2000 |
4.1 |
1.0 |
2.6 |
-1.8 |
2001 |
-0.5 |
-0.1 |
-21.1 |
15.2 |
2002 |
2.3 |
1.1 |
-0.5 |
4.4 |
2003 |
-4.2 |
-0.1 |
4.9 |
2.6 |
2004 |
1.4 |
1.8 |
0.5 |
1.9 |
2005 |
2.0 |
0.2 |
1.5 |
-1.1 |
2006 |
1.5 |
-0.2 |
0.3 |
3.2 |
2007 |
1.5 |
-0.1 |
2.1 |
-0.4 |
2008 |
-1.0 |
0.3 |
-1.8 |
-4.0 |
2009 |
(P)
-1.7 |
(P)
0.2 |
|
|
SOURCE: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary
Table 12:
Combined Transportation Services Index Change by Quarter, 2000-2009
Percent change
from the last month of the previous quarter
Excel | CSV
2000 |
-2.3 |
0.7 |
-0.1 |
-1.3 |
2001 |
0.8 |
-0.3 |
-7.5 |
4.0 |
2002 |
1.6 |
2.3 |
0.6 |
2.6 |
2003 |
-2.2 |
0.0 |
2.3 |
3.1 |
2004 |
1.6 |
0.8 |
-0.1 |
1.1 |
2005 |
1.1 |
-0.5 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
2006 |
0.1 |
0.7 |
-0.5 |
-0.4 |
2007 |
1.0 |
-1.5 |
0.1 |
1.6 |
2008 |
-0.3 |
-0.1 |
-2.7 |
-5.2 |
2009 |
(P)
-4.0 |
(P)
-1.2 |
|
|
SOURCE: Bureau of
Transportation Statistics
NOTE: P = preliminary
Brief Explanation
of the TSI
The
Transportation Services Index (TSI) is a measure of the month-to-month changes
in the output of services provided by the for-hire transportation industries. The freight index measure changes in freight
shipments while the passenger index measures changes in passenger travel.
The
TSI tells us how the output of transportation services has increased or
decreased from month to month. The index can be examined together with other
economic indicators to produce a better understanding of the current and future
course of the economy. The movement of
the index over time can be compared with other economic measures to understand
the relationship of changes in transportation output to changes in Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
The freight transportation index consists of:
For-hire
trucking,
Railroad
freight services
(including rail based intermodal shipments such as containers on flat cars),
Inland
waterways transportation,
Pipeline
transportation (including principally petroleum and petroleum products and
natural gas), and
Air
freight.
The
index does not include international or coastal waterborne movements, private
trucking, courier services, or the US Postal Service.
The passenger transportation index consists of:
Local
transit,
Intercity
passenger rail, and
Passenger
air transportation.
The
index does not include intercity bus, sight seeing services, ferry services,
taxi service, private automobile usage, or bicycling and other non-motorized
transportation.
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