Freight index up in January

The federal Transportation Services Index for freight increased to 130.9 in January, up from 128.4 in December.

That’s the biggest one-month gain since December 2003 and the biggest January year-to-year gain since 1998. The January 2004 freight index was 122.1.

The combined Transportation Services Index increased to 129.7 in January, the biggest one-month gain since July 1997.

The index measures month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by the for-hire transportation industries, including railroad, air, truck, inland waterways, pipeline and local transit.