FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION DATA NEEDS, RESOURCES, AND ISSUES

Current sources of data related to freight transportation in the United States are examined and improvements are recommended that would enhance the ability to make informed decisions on national transportation strategy and policy development. The major focus of the paper is on intercity freight transportation via rail, highway, water, and air. Two key trends are having a major impact on the collection and use of freight transportation data in the United States: the continuing deregulation of freight transportation carriers and the increasing importance of freight transportation to the shipper community. However, a "planning gap" is developing between the public and private sectors in freight transportation. Private companies are increasing their spending on informaiton to ensure efficient movement of goods worldwide, while public agencies are reducing information development commitments for freight transportation right-of-way and facility planning. This paper identifies six key information gaps that need to be filled to meet emerging national freight transportation planning and policy analysis needs: modal/route/facility operating performance data, shipper logistics patterns by industry, intercity freight flows by mode, hazardous materials tracking, intracity freight movements, and emerging shipper needs. Finally, the paper recommends possible data collection options for each information gap and suggests a private sector/public sector "partnership" for freight transportation data collection in the 1990s.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1990/1253/1253-004.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=FREIGHT+TRANSPORTATION+DATA+NEEDS%2C+RESOURCES%2C+AND+ISSUES&author=D.+Anderson&publication_year=1990
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309050081
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1253, Data Resources for National Transportation Decision Making 1990. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Anderson, David L
• Publication Date: 1990

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 25-40
• Monograph Title: Data resources for national transportation decision making 1990
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1253
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Decision making; Deficiencies; Freight transportation; Governments; Information systems; Information, data, and knowledge; Private enterprise; Recommendations; Statistics; Strategic planning; Transportation planning
• Uncontrolled Terms: Data needs
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Data and Information Technology; Freight Transportation; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Research; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00497382
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309050081
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Sep 30 1990 12:00AM