U.S. Freight Transportation Services Index Falls 0.4% in August, Second Straight Monthly Decline to Lowest Since September 2021

The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) fell 0.4% in August from July, falling for the second consecutive month, according to data released on October 14 by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). From August 2025 to August 2026, the index fell 3.0%. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the freight index stood at 134.4 in August, after the July index was revised to 134.9 from 135.7 in the previous release. BTS said the freight index is now at its lowest level since September 2021.
According to the BTS analysis, the August freight decrease reflected declines in rail carloads, rail intermodal traffic, trucking, and waterborne volumes, while air freight and pipeline volumes increased. The Freight TSI measures the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry and consists of for-hire trucking, railroad freight services including rail-based intermodal shipments, inland waterways transportation, pipeline transportation, and air freight.
The Passenger TSI rose 0.2% in August from July, rising after two months of decline, and fell 0.2% from August 2025. The July passenger index was revised to 127.6 from 129.3. The combined freight and passenger index fell 0.2% in August from July and fell 2.0% from August 2025. BTS noted that monthly data are revised under concurrent seasonal analysis as new data are added, and that the data on the program page of its website are the most up to date.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics release BTS 26-76, October 14, 2026.
Source: 美国交通部运输统计局
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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