What Is the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA)?

By Scott Levine – Updated Jun 6, 2025 at 12:28 PM EST

Key Points

DJTA, a key transport index, added Uber, reflecting diverse modern transport forms.
No direct DJTA ETF exists; investors use transport ETFs or direct stock buys for exposure.
iShares U.S. Transportation ETF aligns closely with DJTA, capturing significant growth.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 may be the indexes that often grab the headlines, but the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA) is another index that is also covered in financial reporting. A price-weighted index of 20 stocks, the DJTA reflects the stock performances of leading U.S. companies that operate in the transportation industry.

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A Boeing 737 flying through the air. — Image source: Boeing.

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What Is the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA)?

The DJTA, the first stock index, was created by Charles Dow in 1884. It was originally dubbed the Dow Jones Railroad Average and included only 11 stocks. Published in the Customer's Afternoon Letter, a forerunner of The Wall Street Journal, the Dow Jones Railroad Average included railroad stocks, a mail delivery steamship company, and Western Union (WU -0.97%).

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Index

A composite measure tracking the performance of a group of assets, reflecting the overall movement of a market or sector.

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Its name was changed to DJTA in 1970, and it now has a much more varied collection of stocks. In addition to airlines, the index includes stocks from several industries, such as trucking, rental car, shipping, and, of course, railroad stocks. In February 2024, the index expanded in scope to include ride-sharing company Uber (UBER +0.87%), replacing JetBlue Airways (JBLU +2.27%).

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The importance of the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA)

Because rises and falls in the Dow Jones Industrial Average can be greatly affected by the performance of an individual ticker, the DJTA provides investors with another data point to assess the health of markets. It's especially useful since the Dow Jones Industrial Average excludes transportation stocks.

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Just as the index has evolved from its creation as a way to track railroad stocks, the DJTA will probably accommodate other sorts of transportation stocks in the future. This could possibly mean including electric air taxi stocks, like Archer Aviation (ACHR +0.61%); space tourism stocks, like Virgin Galactic (SPCE +7.69%); or something even more exotic.

Insight into the Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA)

Unlike investors' ability to gain exposure to the Dow Jones Industrial Average through the exchange-traded fund (ETF), the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF, there's no comparable option for those seeking exposure to the DJTA. But that doesn't mean investors are completely out of luck.

For investors committed to broad exposure to the transportation industry, there are a variety of transportation ETFs to consider. Of course, they can also opt to invest directly in the stocks included in the DJTA.

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Those interested in airlines may consider Delta Air Lines (DAL +2.85%), Southwest Airlines (LUV +3.19%), or Alaska Air Group (ALK +4.98%). For those who'd prefer investments tied to terra firma, railroad stocks, like CSX (CSX +1.14%) or Norfolk Southern (NSC +1.70%), or trucking stocks, like J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT +1.21%) or Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL +1.41%), may be more appealing.

The Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA) in action

For the 10-year period ending on May 13, 2024, the DJTA had risen 7.1% on an annualized basis. Although no ETF represents the exact holdings of the DJTA, investors interested in the index may want to consider a position in the iShares U.S. Transportation Average ETF (IYT +1.94%).

The fund includes all the stocks in the DJTA and 13 others. From its inception in October 2003 through mid-May 2024, the iShares Transportation Average ETF had climbed 234%, while the DJTA had risen 253%.

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About the Author

Scott Levine is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering energy, industrials, technology, and materials. He is also a high school English teacher and a small business owner. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Binghamton University, a master’s degree in secondary education from Adelphi University, and an advanced certificate in school building leadership from CUNY Queens College. A crossword puzzle enthusiast, he has solved more than 3,100 New York Times puzzles with a 97% solve rate.

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Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Old Dominion Freight Line and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Alaska Air Group, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $195 calls on Old Dominion Freight Line and short January 2026 $200 calls on Old Dominion Freight Line. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.