Freight shipments up 1.2% from October to November

   The amount of freight carried by the transportation industry rose 1.2 percent in November from October, according to the Freight Transportation Services Index released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
   The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments by mode of transportation in tons and ton-miles, which are combined into one index. 
   The group found that November’s level of freight shipments – 116.5 – reached an all-time high, exceeding the previous high of 115.4 in September.
   In addition, November 2013 freight shipments were up 5.2 percent, year over year.
   According to the group’s analysis, “November’s rise was a result of increases in all modes except pipeline. Growth in tonnage-intensive industries such as heavy construction, and oil and gas fracking produced an increase in truck tonnage. Both trucking and rail benefited from growing auto production.”