BTS: Sep Freight Shipments Dip 2.1% on Month, 1.2% on Year

SECAUCUS, NJ (DTN) –- The Freight Transportation Services Index, which is based on the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry, dipped 2.1% month-on-month to 136.2 in September, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) at the U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday (11/13).

On a yearly basis, the index fell 1.2%.

In August, the index eased 0.1% for the month while remaining flat on the year.

In its latest release, BTS revised the August freight index to 139.1 from the earlier reading of 138.9.

The agency noted that September’s decline reflected decreases in air freight, rail carloads, rail intermodal and trucking activity, and increases in pipeline and waterborne movements.

The September decrease coincided with flat readings for many other indicators. While the Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing index registered a 0.4% rise for the month, there was no change in the Federal Reserve Board Industrial Production Index that had subsets for manufacturing, mining and utilities. Also maintaining status quo were indicators for housing starts, retails sales and personal income.

The Passenger Transportation Services Index, meanwhile, declined 2.9% month-on-month and 1.1% year-on-year in September. In August, the index – which measures passenger transportation volumes on local transit, intercity rail and air transportation – rose 0.6% on the month and 1.4% on the year.

The Combined Freight and Passenger Index also slipped, down 2.3% from August and 1.1% from a year ago. BTS estimates air freight and air passenger readings one month ahead of reported data.