BTS 03-18 Wednesday, January 10, 2018 BTS Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568
November 2017 Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI)
The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI), which is based on the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry, reached an all-time high in November, rising 0.2 percent in November from October, growing for the second consecutive month, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics' (BTS). The November 2017 index level (130.8) was 38.1 percent above the April 2009 low during the most recent recession (Tables 1, 2, and 2A).
The level of for-hire freight shipments in November measured by the Freight TSI (130.8) reached its all-time high (Table 2A). BTS' TSI records begin in 2000. See historical TSI data.
The October index was revised to 130.5 from 129.2 in last month's release. Monthly numbers for April through September were revised up slightly and March were revised down slightly.
The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in for-hire 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 TSI is seasonally-adjusted to remove regular seasons from month-to-month comparisons.
Analysis: Notable increases in trucking, rail carloads, rail intermodal, and air freight led the November increase of 0.2 percent while water and pipeline declined. The TSI increase took place against a background of strong results for other indicators. The Federal Reserve Board Industrial Production index rose by 0.2 percent in November, with increases in manufacturing and mining. Employment rose, Personal income grew and Housing Starts increased. The Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing index declined to 58.2, indicating positive but decelerating growth.
Trend: The Freight TSI's new all-time high of 130.8 in November was 0.2 percent above the previous all-time high set in October and 4.7 percent above the level of July 2016 (124.9), which was the highest level prior to 2017. November was the second all-time high in a row, and the sixth in 2017. The seven months from May to November 2017 were the seven highest levels the Freight TSI has ever attained. The Freight TSI was at or above 124.0 in every month of 2017, a level it reached in only two months prior to 2017. The November index was 38.1 percent above the April 2009 low during the most recent recession. For additional historical data, go to TSI data.
Index highs and lows: For-hire freight shipments in November 2017 (130.8) were 38.1 percent higher than the low in April 2009 during the recession (94.7). The November 2017 level reached its all-time high (Table 1A).
Year to date: For-hire freight shipments measured by the index were up 5.0 percent in November compared to the end of 2016 (Table 3).
Long-term trend: For-hire freight shipments are up 16.6 percent in the five years from November 2012 and are up 18.3 percent in the 10 years from November 2007 (Table 5).
Same month of previous year: November 2017 for-hire freight shipments were up 5.8 percent from November 2016 (Tables 4, 5).
The TSI has three seasonally-adjusted indexes that measure changes from the monthly average of the base year of 2000. The three indexes are freight shipments, passenger travel and a combined measure that merges the freight and passenger indexes. See Seasonally-Adjusted Transportation Data for numbers for individual modes. TSI includes data from 2000 to the present. Release of the December 2017 index is scheduled for Feb. 14.
Passenger Index: The TSI for passengers rose 0.2 percent in November from its October level (Table 6). The Passenger TSI November 2017 level of 127.2 was 1.9 percent above the November 2016 level (Table 7). The index is up 9.9 percent in five years and up 8.4 percent in 10 years (Table 5). The passenger TSI measures the month-to-month changes in travel that involves the services of the for-hire passenger transportation sector. The seasonally-adjusted index consists of data from air, local transit and intercity rail.
Combined Index: The combined freight and passenger TSI rose 0.2 percent in November from its October level (Table 8). The combined TSI November 2017 level of 129.8 was 4.7 percent above the November 2016 level (Table 9). The combined index is up 14.6 percent in five years and up 15.1 percent in 10 years (Table 5). The combined TSI merges the freight and passenger indexes into a single index.
Revisions: Monthly data has changed from previous releases due to the use of concurrent seasonal analysis, which results in seasonal analysis factors changing as each month's data are added.
BTS research has shown a clear relationship between economic cycles and the Freight and Passenger Transportation Services Indexes. See a study of this relationship using smoothed and detrended TSI data. Researchers who wish to compare TSI over time with other economic indicators, can use the FRED database, which includes freight, passenger and combined TSI, and which makes it possible to easily graph TSI alongside the other series in that database. See TSI data on FRED. For a webinar on the TSI, see Past Webinars. A BTS report explaining the TSI, Transportation Services Index and the Economy, is available for download.
Table 1: Freight, Passenger and Combined Transportation Services Indexes since May 2017 Percent Change from Previous Month (Seasonally-Adjusted, Monthly Average of 2000 = 100)
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 1A: Annual High and Low Points in Freight Transportation Services Index, 2009-2017
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 2: Freight Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2014-2017 Percent change from previous month
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 2A: Freight Transportation Services Index by Month, 2014-2017
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 3: Freight, Passenger and Combined Transportation Services Indexes Year-to-Date Change, 2008-2017 Percent change to November from December of the previous year
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 4: Freight Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year Percent Change in the November Freight TSI (Monthly average of 2000 = 100)
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 5: Transportation Services Indexes from Previous Years Percent Change to 2017 (November to November)
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 6: Passenger Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2014-2017 Percent change from previous month
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 7: Passenger Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year Percent change in the November Passenger TSI (Monthly average of 2000 = 100)
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 8: Combined Transportation Services Index Monthly Changes, 2014-2017 Percent change from previous month
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Table 9: Combined Transportation Services Index from Year-to-Year Percent change in the November Combined TSI (Monthly average of 2000 = 100)
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
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, sightseeing services, ferry services, taxi service, private automobile usage, or bicycling and other non-motorized transportation.
The TSI includes only domestic "for-hire" freight and passenger transportation. For-hire transportation consists of freight or passenger transport services provided by a firm to external customers for a fee. The TSI does not include taxi services, paid ride services in personal motor vehicles (e.g., Uber, Lyft, etc.), intercity bus services, in-house transportation (vehicles owned and operated by private firms for their own use), or noncommercial passenger travel (e.g., trips in the household car).
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November 2017 Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI)
Senior Parents Weekend - Register Tomorrow, 1/10!
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MEDIA ADVISORY: BTS Releases November Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption Data
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 Contact: Dave Smallen Tel: 202-366-5568
MEDIA ADVISORY
BTS Releases November Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption Data
The Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today updated its Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption web page with preliminary November data.
Cost per gallon for U.S. airlines' scheduled services:
The page provides scheduled service cost and consumption numbers. Use the "Select a Service" dropdown to see all services or non-scheduled services.
The Fuel Cost and Consumption page can be found here: http://www.transtats.bts.gov/fuel.asp Summaries by month are also available.
Preliminary fuel cost and consumption numbers are industry summaries only. Airline fuel costs may be affected by hedging, contracts that allow airlines to limit exposure to future changes in fuel prices. The next monthly web update is scheduled for Feb. 6.
Individual airline numbers through September are available on the BTS website. Individual airline numbers for October and November will be available with the BTS fourth-quarter 2017 financial release on May 7.
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BTS Releases Pocket Guide to Transportation Mobile App
BTS 02-18
BTS Releases Pocket Guide to Transportation Mobile App
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 – The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has released a new dynamic mobile app for the Pocket Guide to Transportation 2018 – a quick reference guide to transportation statistics. This popular guide provides the latest transportation statistics at your fingertips in mobile app and printed formats. It covers data on major trends, moving people and goods, system use and performance, the economy, safety, infrastructure, and the environment. Download the app now to access all the features of the classic Pocket Guide plus enhanced navigation, sharable graphics to social media and email, and dynamic data updates to highlight the most recent up-to-date statistics. The app is available on the App Store and on Google Play (keyword: BTS Pocket Guide). To access the Pocket Guide, go to BTS Pocket Guide to Transportation or text USDOT BTSPG to 468311. This publication can also be obtained by ordering online, by contacting BTS by phone at 202-366-DATA or by e-mail at answers@dot.gov. For inquiries other than placing orders contact Dave Smallen: david.smallen@dot.gov or 202-366-5568.
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BTS Releases Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2017
BTS 02-18
BTS Releases Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2017
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released the Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) 2017. The 22nd edition of this congressionally mandated report presents key transportation indicators along with an overview of the transportation system. It also includes data and statistics on passenger travel, freight movement, transportation and the economy, system reliability, safety, energy use and environmental impacts. In addition, the report focuses on closing data gaps and improving the ways in which transportation statistics are collected, compiled, analyzed, and published. TSAR is a report of the BTS Director to the President and Congress. The complete report or individual sections may be downloaded directly from the BTS website. This publication can also be obtained by ordering online, by contacting BTS by phone at 202-366-DATA or by e-mail at answers@dot.gov. For inquiries other than placing orders contact Dave Smallen: david.smallen@dot.gov or 202-366-5568.
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A reminder - Super Bowl Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign Materials now available
Super Bowl Drunk Driving Prevention Campaign The Super Bowl is America's most watched national sporting event. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 4th, there will be lots of game day socializing that may include drinking. That's why NHTSA is urging football fans to plan ahead a safe ride home. NHTSA's Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk campaign encourages people to make plans ahead of time that will prevent them from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. Driving drunk could result in injury or death for you or others on the road. Click here and get your campaign materials now.
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