Transportation Services Index inched up in July

The Transportation Services Index (TSI) in July reached 115.3, up 0.2 percent from June's level and 2.5 percent from July 2012's mark, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

July's Freight TSI of 114.3 inched up 0.3 percent on a month-over-month basis and rose 2.4 percent on a year-over-year basis. The measure of monthly output from for-hire rail, trucking, inland waterway, pipeline and air freight carriers remained above its 2012 range for the seventh-straight month, BTS officials said in a press release.

The small July bump was driven by gains in rail intermodal and inland water shipments, as well as small increases in trucking and rail carloads, they said.

"The slow increase in July after a decrease in June is likely influenced by the decrease in manufacturing output in July," BTS officials said.

Meanwhile, July's Passenger TSI of 117.9 ratcheted up 0.2 percent from June's level and climbed 2.5 percent from July 2012's mark. The index measures month-to-month changes in travel provided by for-hire air, local transit and intercity rail services.