BTS says the Freight Transportation Services Index fell 0.4% in August to 134.4, down 3.0% from a year earlier and at its lowest level since September 2021.
BTS released the August index on October 14
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics published its scheduled August 2026 Transportation Services Index release on October 14. The Freight TSI measures month-to-month changes in the output of domestic for-hire freight transportation services; it is not a survey of one carrier, lane or commodity.
The Freight TSI fell 0.4% to 134.4
The seasonally adjusted Freight TSI moved from a revised 134.9 in July to 134.4 in August, a 0.4% decline. BTS says this was the second consecutive monthly decrease after July's 1.2% decline. Index points are not percentages, shipment counts, truck miles or dollars.
The index was 3.0% below August 2025
BTS reports that the August 2026 Freight TSI was 3.0% lower than in August 2025. The published table shows August 2025 at 138.5 and August 2026 at 134.4. The year-over-year comparison describes the aggregate for-hire freight index, not the revenue or load count of every trucking company.
August was the lowest level since September 2021
BTS states that the Freight TSI reached its lowest level since September 2021. Within the release's August 2023 through August 2026 table, the August 2026 value is also the lowest and follows a March 2026 value of 139.4. The comparison does not mean every freight mode or market reached a multi-year low.
Trucking was one of four declining components
The agency attributes the August decrease to lower rail carloads, rail intermodal, trucking and water volumes. Air freight and pipeline volumes increased. BTS does not publish a truck-only percentage contribution in this release, so the 0.4% headline should not be described as a 0.4% fall in trucking alone.
The index covers five for-hire freight modes
Freight TSI components are for-hire trucking, railroad freight including rail intermodal, inland waterways, pipeline transportation and air freight. Combining modes creates a broad transportation-output measure. It also means truck operators should pair the index with truck-specific employment, rate, tonnage and operating-cost data before making a business decision.
Private trucking and courier services are excluded
BTS says the index does not include private trucking, courier services, the U.S. Postal Service, international waterborne movements or coastal waterborne movements. A retailer or manufacturer moving its own freight can be economically important without appearing in the for-hire trucking component.
The series covers domestic for-hire service
For-hire transportation means a firm providing freight transportation to external customers for a fee. The domestic scope and exclusions matter when interpreting port, border or parcel headlines. The TSI is broader than long-haul truckload and narrower than every movement of goods in the U.S. economy.
Seasonal adjustment supports month-to-month comparison
BTS presents the series on a seasonally adjusted basis so recurring calendar patterns do not dominate monthly comparisons. The index uses 2000 as its base year, set equal to 100. A reading of 134.4 therefore expresses index output relative to that base, not 134.4 million shipments or 134.4% growth in one month.
July was revised lower
BTS revised the July 2026 Freight TSI to 134.9 from 135.7 in the prior release. The agency explains that concurrent seasonal analysis can change seasonal factors as new data are added. Users should keep the version date with downloaded numbers and expect historical values to change rather than treating the first publication as permanent.
Some August modal inputs were estimated
BTS says pipeline petroleum, air freight and air passenger inputs are estimated one month ahead of reported data; the August index therefore used estimates for those components based on data available through July. Later releases can revise the index when source data are corrected or updated.
The index is an output measure, not a rate index
Freight TSI measures the amount of freight transportation service provided. It does not report spot or contract rates, fuel surcharges, driver pay, revenue per mile, insurance costs or carrier profit. Rates can move differently from physical output when capacity, fuel, contracts and operating costs change.
It is not a truck-employment report
A decline in the combined index does not reveal how many truck drivers were hired, laid off or working in August. Employment data come from separate Bureau of Labor Statistics series and can be revised on their own schedule. Use both sources when evaluating labor conditions and label each measure correctly.
Owner-operators should compare the trend with actual loads
A broad decline can be useful context for customer conversations, but it cannot determine whether a particular load is profitable. Compare the offered revenue with all miles, deadhead, fuel, maintenance, insurance, truck payment, tolls, detention, taxes and owner compensation. Regional lane conditions may differ sharply from the national multimodal index.
Carriers can use it as one dashboard input
Place the TSI beside loaded and empty miles, revenue per total mile, tender acceptance, utilization, dwell, fuel cost and maintenance downtime. If the carrier's output moves differently from the national index, investigate customer, lane, equipment and service mix before assuming the dashboard is wrong.
The release does not forecast a recession by itself
BTS says the TSI can be examined with other economic indicators to understand the economy's course and its relationship with GDP. One or two monthly movements do not establish a recession, a trucking recovery or a permanent trend. Revisions, modal divergence and the series' scope all limit a stand-alone conclusion.
The September release is scheduled for November 12
BTS scheduled the September 2026 index for November 12, 2026. That release may add a third monthly move and may revise earlier values. Anyone publishing a dashboard should record the October 14 source date and refresh the history when the next release arrives.
Primary-source note
This report is based on BTS release 26-76 dated October 14, 2026 and the agency's Transportation Services Index methodology. The 134.4 level, 0.4% monthly decline, 3.0% annual decline, second consecutive decrease, modal direction, exclusions and revision notes come from that federal release. CDL Truck Pro has not converted the multimodal index into a truck-only rate, employment or profit claim.
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Official sources
BTS release 26-76: August 2026 Freight TSIBTS: Transportation Services IndexCDL Truck Pro provides educational information. Confirm licensing, safety, tax, and regulatory requirements through current official sources and qualified professionals.