DOT releases new freight transportation data
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) have released the first product from the newest version of the Freight Analysis Framework, a comprehensive publicly available data set of freight movement.
New data show an increase in the dollar value of goods moved on the transportation network. Earlier this week, DOT released the draft National Freight Strategic Plan, which offers specific policy proposals and solutions to address the growing challenges of moving freight in the United States. This data underscores the need for such a plan.
Foxx emphasized the importance of freight to the economy in DOT’s study of transportation trends, Beyond Traffic, conducted earlier in 2105. The study pointed to a 45% growth in freight in the United States by 2040.
Newly baselined Freight Analysis Framework estimates show that in 2012, nearly 17.0 billion tons of goods worth about $17.9 trillion were moved on the transportation network. This equates to 47 million tons of goods valued at more than $49 billion a day moved throughout the nation on all transportation modes—compared with $45 billion per day in 2007. Trucks remain the most commonly used mode to move freight, transporting 64% of the weight and 71% of the value in 2012—compared with 65% of the value in 2007.
More detail on the Freight Analysis Framework is available here.