Freight Professional Development - Federal Sources of Freight Data
Freight transportation contributes to economic growth, affects state and local transportation networks, adds to highway congestion, and poses safety concerns and environmental challenges. Thus, state and local transportation planners and decisionmakers need timely and reliable freight data to analyze the relationship between freight demand and economic activities, identify and locate needed infrastructure and operational improvements, and meet the needs of their communities.
Freight data are available from many public and private sources and vary by collection method, timeframe, format, and quality. Although no one source can provide a comprehensive picture of freight transportation, the following list of major sources of publicly available freight data can provide valuable insights on volume and value of freight movements, freight infrastructure, freight vehicles, and the economy.
| Data | Description | Availability* |
|---|---|---|
| Volume/Value of Freight Movements |
||
| Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) | Commodity movements among states and metropolitan areas by value, weight, and mode for 1997, 2002, and forecasts for 2010 through 2035. | www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/faf |
| Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) | Origin/destination of commodities shipped in U.S. by mode, value, and weight. Updated every 5 years. | www.census.gov/econ/www/cfsnew.html |
| Transborder Surface Freight Data | North American merchandise trade data by commodity and mode. Geographic detail for U.S. exports to and imports from Canada and Mexico. Updated monthly and annually. Monthly data available by e-mail. | www.bts.gov/transborder |
| U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico Border Crossings | Number of trucks, truck containers, train, and rail containers crossing into the U.S. through land ports on U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders. Updated monthly and annually. | www.bts.gov/programs/international/border_crossing_entry_data |
| Carload Rail Waybill Sample | Origin/destination of commodities shipped by rail, weight, number of cars involved, length of haul. Data based on the proprietary Carload Waybill Sample of Class I railroads. | www.stb.dot.gov |
| Waterborne Commerce: Domestic |
Tonnage and trips by commodity for major ports/waterways and origin and destination data on waterborne cargo movements by waterways and harbors. Updated annually. | www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc |
| Waterborne Commerce: Foreign |
Value and weight of cargo by type of service for U.S. waterborne imports and exports. Updated monthly and annually. | www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/usforeign |
| Oil Pipeline | Oil movements by multistate regions. | www.eia.doe.gov/neic/a-z/petroleuma-z.htm#p |
| Air Traffic Statistics | Air traffic, tonnage, and revenue ton-miles data for large air carriers and by airport. Updated quarterly and yearly. | www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information |
| Infrastructure | ||
| National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) | Geospatial attributes of infrastructure for all modes and facilities. Updated annually. | www.bts.gov/programs/geographic_information_services |
| Highway Performance and Monitoring System (HPMS) | Extent, condition, performance, use, and operating characteristics of U.S. highways. | http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hpms/index.cfm |
| National Highway Planning Network (NHPN) | Miles of current and planned roadways. Updated annually. | http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/nhpn/ |
| Railroad-Highway Grade Crossings | Grade crossing location and safety data. Other rail network characteristics in NTAD. | http://gis.fra.dot.gov |
| U.S. Ports and Waterway Facilities Database | Physical characteristics of coastal, Great Lakes, and inland U.S. ports, terminals, and locks. Updated on an ongoing basis. | www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc |
| Freight Vehicles | ||
| Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) | Physical and operational characteristics of private and commercial trucks registered/licensed in U.S., commodities hauled, truck configurations, trip mileage. Updated every 5 years. | http://www.census.gov/econ/www/viusmain.html |
| FAF Highway Capacity Database | Truck flows at highway segment level for 1998 and forecasts for 2010 and 2020. Updates underway. | www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/faf |
| VTRIS-W | Number of trucks weighed and vehicle weight information by type of vehicle and highway functional class. Updated annually. | http://apps.fhwa.dot.gov/vtris |
| Highway Statistics | State truck registrations, motor vehicle and motor carrier tax receipts, and disposition of tax receipts. Updated annually. | www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohim/hs02/mv.htm |
| Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Data | Commercial motor vehicle crashes, fatalities, and injuries. | www.fmcsa.dot.gov/factsfigs/dashome.htm |
| Waterborne Transportation Lines | Inventory of U.S. vessels moving waterborne commerce. Updated annually. | www.iwr.usace.army.mil/ndc/veslchar/veslchar.htm |
| Economy | ||
| U.S. Economic Census | Economic data by sector, including number of establishments, sales, payroll, inventories, operating expenses. Updated every 5 years | www.census.gov/econ/census02 |
| Regional Economic Accounts | Gross state product, personal income, population, and employment at state level. | www.bea.gov/bea/regional/data.htm |
| U.S. Census County Business Patterns | Economic activity at the county level by industry. | www.census.gov/epcd/cbp |
| Wages, Earnings, and Benefits | Data categorized by geographic area, occupation, and industry. Updated quarterly and annually. | www.bls.gov/bls/wages.htm |
| Productivity | Output per hour of labor; international comparisons included. Updated quarterly and annually. | www.bls.gov/bls/productivity.htm |
| Comprehensive Tabulations | ||
| Freight Facts and Figures | Volume and value of freight flows, network characteristics, economic, safety, and energy use data, and environmental effects. (Available beginning in January 2005.) Updated annually. | www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight |
| National Transportation Statistics | Overview of the extent, condition, and performance of U.S. transportation system. Updated annually. | www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics |
| North American Transportation Statistics | Information on transportation and related activities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico and between the three countries. Updated annually. | http://nats.inegi.gob.mx/nats/ |
*Web sites available as of October 25, 2004. Check www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/data_sources.htm for upgrades.
