Ongoing, in-depth research and analysis helps provide an efficient and reliable transportation system that benefits agricultural and other shippers. The Transportation Services Division of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service periodically sponsors cooperative research on transportation matters of importance to USDA stakeholders. Links to summaries of recent cooperative research are listed chronologically below. Each summary discusses the research findings and provides a link to the full report.
Cooperative Research Summaries
- 09-2020: Inland Container Terminal Summary (pdf)
- 08-2020: Dynamic Changes in Rail Shipping Mechanisms for Grain Summary (pdf)
- 08-2020: Repositioning Empty Containers for Ag Container Logistics Summary (pdf)
- 06-2020: Railroads Common Carrier Obligation (pdf)
- 03-2020: Rail Rates for Grain Shipments Over Time (pdf)
- 02-2020: UPDATE ON United States-South America Grain Freight Spreads (pdf)
- 12-2019: River Transportation and the Broiler Industry in North Alabama (pdf)
- 12-2019: Barge Traffic Disruptions and Their Effects on Shipping Costs in Agricultural Freight Corridors (pdf)
- 12-2019: Rail Market Power Summary (pdf)
- 08-2019: Pacific Northwest Container Availability Study: West Coast Container Traffic Analysis (Summary) (pdf)
- 07-2019: Protecting Perishable Foods During Transport by Truck and Rail (Summary) (pdf)
- 02-2018: Profile of Short Line Railroads (pdf)
- 01-2018: UPDATE ON United States-South America Grain Freight Spreads (pdf)
- 11-2017: Analysis of Grain Basis Behavior during Transportation Disruptions (pdf)
- 10-2017: Transportation Cost Modeling of International Containerized Soybean Exports in the US (pdf)
- 12-2016: Economic Impacts Analysis of Inland Waterways Disruption on the Transport of Corn and Soybeans (pdf)
- 12-2016: Estimated Impacts of Mexican Transportation Infrastructure Improvements on the U.S. Meat Complex (pdf)
- 03-2016: Impacts of Intramodal Competition on 2012 Railroad Rates for Wheat (pdf)
- 10-2015: Constrained Market Pricing and Revenue Adequacy: Regulatory Implications for Shippers and Class I U.S. Freight Railroads (pdf)
- 05-2015: United States–South America Ocean Grain Freight Spreads (pdf)
- 02-2015: Marketing U.S. Grain and Oilseeds by Container (pdf)
- 04-2014: Tracking U.S. Grain, Oilseed and Related Product Exports in Mexico (pdf)
- 01-2013: The Potential Impact of Brazil’s Transportation Efficiencies on World Cotton Trade (pdf)
- 05-2005: The Role of Air Cargo in California’s Agricultural Export Trade (pdf)