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After slipping in September, the Transportation Services Index (TSI) posted a small gain in October. Totaling 110.1, the index rose 0.6 percent compared with September’s level, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

However, the measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by for-hire transportation industries declined 1.3 percent compared with October 2007’s total. The TSI has decreased on a year-over-year basis in each of 2008’s first 10 months.

The Freight TSI in October totaled 109.1, up 1 percent from September’s level — the first month-over-month gain after two-straight declines. But the index fell 0.6 percent compared with October 2007’s total and reached its lowest October level since 2003.

Through 2008’s first 10 months, the measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by for-hire rail, trucking, inland waterway, pipeline and air freight firms rose 0.7 percent compared with the Freight TSI from the same 2007 period.

Meanwhile, the Passenger TSI in October totaled 114.3, down 0.6 percent from September’s level and 3.3 percent from October 2007’s total. Through 10 months, the measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services from for-hire passenger air, local transit and intercity passenger-rail providers dropped 0.6 percent compared with the Passenger TSI from the same 2007 period.