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The Transportation Services Index (TSI) in February reached 114.4, up 0.8 percent from January's level and 1.6 percent from February 2012's mark, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

The Freight TSI clocked in at 113.9, up 1.2 percent on a month-over-month basis and 2.7 percent on a year-over-year basis. A measure of month-to-month changes in freight shipments handled by for-hire rail, trucking, inland waterway, pipeline and air freight firms, the index registered a gain for the fourth-straight month and posted growth across most modes, BTS officials said in a press release.

Including the February increase, the Freight TSI has exceeded its 2012 range for two months in a row, they said. The February index climbed to its second-highest level since April 2009, trailing only December 2011.

The Passenger TSI of 115.7 in February was relatively flat versus January, down only 0.1 percent. The measure of month-to-month changes in travel provided by for-hire air, local transit and intercity rail providers ratcheted down 0.9 percent compared with February 2012's index.