The State of Freight Transportation

For inbound shipments by truck, rail, air, and domestic water, the same states make the top-10 list, again led by California and Texas with their large population/consumption centers. Pipeline movement of bulk materials such as crude oil, coal slurry, and natural gas are not included in TRANSEARCH®. The database does include international imports/exports, but only the U.S. portion of those movements. Of metro areas, Casper, Wyoming, and Saint Louis, Missouri, are among the top-10 originators of freight, along with Lexington, Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; Charleston, West Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Duluth, Minnesota; Houston, Texas; Billings, Montana; and Los Angeles, California. For air cargo volume, Memphis, Tennessee, leads the way, followed by Louisville, Kentucky.

Shipments by truck in 2007 outweighed those via rail, at 9.8 billion and 2.0 billion tons, respectively, according to TRANSEARCH®. Inland and inter-coastal water freight movements amounted to nearly 900.0 million tons, while air cargo totaled 8.5 million. Leading commodities, including all modes, are non-metallic minerals, coal, farm products, petroleum, food products, and chemicals.

TRANSEARCH® forecasts of future freight activity (originated tons) to 2030 indicate annual average growth rates between 1.25% and 2.25% for all states except California, which again leads the pack at 2.65%. Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, and the combined states in the West North Central, East South Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions show an annual growth rate between 1.75% and 2.00%. Slightly slower growth rates of 1.25% to 1.50% appear for Illinois and the New England, West South Central, South Atlantic, East North Central, and Middle Atlantic regions.