The Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) have released the “Freight Analysis Framework,” the most comprehensive publicly available data set of freight movement. The new data show an increase in the dollar value of goods moved on the transportation network.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx emphasized the importance of freight to the economy in the department’s study of transportation trends, “Beyond Traffic”, conducted earlier this year. The study pointed to a 45% growth in freight in the United States by 2040.
The 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, which equates to 47 million tons of goods valued at more than $49 billion a day moved throughout the country on all transportation modes--compared to $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 to 65% of the value in 2007.
The “Freight Analysis Framework” (FAF) includes data on the amount and types of goods that move by land, sea and air between large metropolitan areas, states and regions. It is designed to provide information on national level freight flows across the nation's transportation network.
This information helps the public and private sectors at all levels better understand freight movement; transportation planners use it to target resources to improve operations or increase capacity. The product focuses on the origin and destination component of FAF. Additional elements are planned for future release.
More detail on the “Freight Analysis Framework” is available at: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/faf/index.htm and http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/subject_areas/freight_transportation/faf.