Commodity Flow Survey
Commodity Flow Survey
The Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) is the primary source of national and state-level data on domestic freight shipments by American establishments in mining, manufacturing, wholesale, auxiliaries, and selected retail and services trade industries. Data are provided on the types, origins and destinations, values, weights, modes of transport, distance shipped, and ton-miles of commodities shipped. The CFS is a shipper-based survey and is conducted every five years as part of the Economic Census. It provides a modal picture of national freight flows, and represents the only publicly available source of commodity flow data for the highway mode. The CFS was conducted in 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007 and most recently in 2012.
For more information about the survey, please review the links below.
Survey Overview and Methodology
Key CFS Terms
Survey Materials
Frequently Asked Questions
CFS Brochure
2012 CFS – Data Sources
NEW: Public Use Microdata (June 2015) – View shipment-level data and accompanying user’s guide
Reports and Tables
State Summaries (June 2016) – View a summary and highlights of state level data in this report
United States (June 2015) PDF – View the national level report and the associated tables
Exports (March 2015) (PDF) – View the exports report and the associated tables
Hazardous Materials (February 2015) (PDF) – View the hazardous materials report and the associated tables
Highlights from the 2012 CFS preliminary data
Preliminary Tables (June 2015) – View preliminary results at the national level.
2007 CFS – Data Sources
Reports and Tables
United States (April 2010) – View the national level report and the associated tables
Individual State Tables (July 2010) – View state data on an individualized basis with these tables
Metropolitan Areas (February 2011) – View metropolitan area data on an individualized basis with these tables
Hazardous Materials (July 2010) – View the hazardous materials report and the associated tables
Exports (August 2010) – View the exports report and the associated tables
Origin-Destination Files – View commodity and mode data for all CFS-measured geographies
Other Reports and Information
State Summaries (December 2010) – View a summary and highlights of state level data in this report
Hazardous Materials Special Report (February 2011) – View a BTS Special Report that discusses highlights from the hazardous materials data
U.S. Freight on the Move: Highlights from the 2007 Commodity Flow Survey Preliminary Data (September 2009) – View a BTS Special Report that discusses highlights from the 2007 CFS preliminary data
Preliminary Tables (December 2008) – View preliminary results at the national level
How Freight Moves: Estimating Mileage and Routes Using an Innovative GIS Tool (June 2007) – View a BTS Technical Report that discusses how freight mileage was calculated for the 2007 CFS
CFS Workshop E-Circular
BTS and Census Bureau Responses to Data User Suggestions
2002 CFS – Data Sources
Zip File Format
2002 CFS CD (ZIP - 132 MB)
Reports and Tables
United States – View the national level report and the associated tables
Individual State Reports and Tables – View state data on an individualized basis with these reports and tables
Metropolitan Areas – View metropolitan area data on an individualized basis with these tables
Hazardous Materials – View the hazardous materials report and the associated tables
Exports – View the exports report and the associated tables
Other Reports and Information
State Summaries – View a summary and highlights of state level data in this report
1997 CFS – Data Sources
TranStats
1997 CFS Data
Profile of 1997 CFS Data – View a summary of the 1997 CFS
Zip File Format
1997 CFS - U.S. Summary CD (ZIP - 181 MB)
(Some 1997 CFS data can be found through AFF as a part of the 2002 CFS dataset collection.)
Reports
United States – View the national level report
Individual State Reports – View state data on an individualized basis with these reports
Metropolitan Areas – View metropolitan area data on an individualized basis with these reports
Hazardous Materials – View the Hazardous Materials report
Exports – View the Exports report
1993 CFS – Data Sources
TranStats
1993 CFS Data
Profile of 1993 CFS Data – View a summary of the 1993 CFS
Zip File Format
1993 CFS - State and National Transportation Analysis Regions CD (ZIP - 5.18 MB)
(Some 1993 CFS data can be found through AFF as a part of the 2002 CFS dataset collection.)
Reports
United States – View the national level report
Individual State Reports – View state data on an individualized basis with these reports
Other Reports and Information
United States Highlights – View the major highlights of the 1993 CFS in this report
Commodity Movements Summary – View a one-page summary for each of the 50 states
Questions?
Contact the Commodity Flow Survey team at cfs@dot.gov