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In December, the Transportation Services Index (TSI) slipped to 106.7, a 1.9 percent decrease from November’s level and 3.1 percent decline from December 2007’s index — the first annual drop since 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

A measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by for-hire transportation industries, the TSI fell to its lowest year-end level since 2003. In the fourth quarter, the TSI dropped 2.4 percent — the second-straight quarterly decline.

December’s Freight TSI of 105.1 decreased 2.3 percent from November’s level, falling for the fourth time in five months. A measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by for-hire rail, trucking, inland waterway, pipeline and air freight firms, the index also declined 3 percent compared with December 2007’s level — the largest year-end drop since 2000.

In addition, the Freight TSI stood at its all-time lowest level since September 2003. In the fourth quarter, the index fell 2.6 percent.

December’s Passenger TSI of 113.0 decreased 0.9 percent from November’s level and 3.6 percent from December 2007’s level — the first annual decline since 2001. A measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services from for-hire passenger air, local transit and intercity passenger-rail providers, the index fell to its lowest year-end level since 2005.

In the fourth quarter, the Passenger TSI dropped 1.7 percent compared with fourth-quarter 2007’s level.