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The Transportation Services Index (TSI) got off to a good start in 2008. January's index of 112.1 rose 1.5 percent from December's level, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

The TSI — a measure of month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by for-hire transportation industries — also increased 2.4 percent compared with January 2007's index.

January's Freight TSI reached 111.5, up 2.4 percent from December's level and matching the largest month-over-month increase in the past two years, BTS said. 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 Freight TSI also posted its third gain in the prior four months leading to January.

The index, which rose 2.7 percent compared with January 2007's level, has increased 3.2 percent since registering a recent low of 108.0 in September 2007.

January's Passenger TSI totaled 115.5, down 1.4 percent compared with December's level. However, the index — which measures month-to-month changes in the output of services from for-hire passenger air, local transit and intercity passenger-rail providers — increased 1.3 percent compared with January 2007's Passenger TSI. The index is up 19.2 percent over the past five years and 27.6 percent over the past decade.