Freight Performance Measure Primer

CHAPTER 3. AVAILABLE DATA

Stakeholders have discussed the need for improved data. National-level or aggregated performance measurement data on what, where, and how much freight moves are available publicly in the United States. Only truck probe data is publicly available to measure how freight moves. Access to private sector freight performance data is limited due to proprietary reasons. Limited public sector data availability provides only partial information of the overall freight transportation network, preventing the public sector from adequately planning for freight, advancing freight performance measures, and understanding where investments are needed.

Private sector stakeholders focus largely on supply chains, or goods movement from start to finish. They have excellent sources of data for freight movement. They can identify freight flows down to the shipment and know in real-time where their goods are. They have access to state-of-the-art data and measurement systems and can identify where bottlenecks are occurring so they can continuously improve their supply chains. To stay competitive, however, private sector stakeholders typically do not release this information.

The private sector has partnered with the public sector, especially in recent years, to investigate ways in which they can share data. Many private sector representatives serve on State Freight Advisory Committees (FACs) and provide anecdotal information about where bottlenecks are occurring. Some have provided detail on the value of commodity being moved, related jobs and other information useful to decision-makers. However, this is still only information on what, where, and how much freight is moving.

FREQUENTLY USED FREIGHT DATA

Table 3 lists the available data sources currently supporting freight analysis and measurement beginning with the truck probe data, National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS), Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) data, the Commodity Flow Survey (CFS), the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data, and truck parking data, which are most commonly used by States and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) for performance and planning. Mostly publicly available or publicly obtainable data are described in this table, with an emphasis on the most common sources. There are opportunities for States and MPOs that can provide access to more robust or processed data in cooperation with the private sector.

The primer identifies publicly available data to use in simple yet meaningful metrics and analysis. For more details on frequently used available freight data, refer to Appendix C, and for additional available highway data, refer to Appendix D.

Table 3. Frequently used freight data.

	Data Source	Data Description	Publicly Available	Privately Available	Link
Highway	Truck Probe Data	Provides information on speed and reliability, identifies bottlenecks, and supports State and regional level analyses of truck movements.	X		http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight/freight_analysis/perform_meas/index.htm
	National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS)	Provides average travel times measured in 5-minute increments.		X	https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/perform_meas/index.htm
	Commodity Flow Survey (CFS)	Provides national and State-level data on domestic freight shipments.	X
	Freight Analysis Framework (FAF)	Integrates data from a variety of sources to create a comprehensive picture of freight movement among States and major metropolitan areas by all modes of transportation.	X		http://faf.ornl.gov/fafweb/Extraction0.aspx
	Commodity Flow Survey Microdata	Provides access to shipment-level characteristics while continuing to protect the confidentiality.	X		http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/commodity_flow_survey/index.html
	Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)	Provides the analysis of highway system condition, performance, and investment needs that make up the biennial Condition and Performance Reports to Congress.	X		https://www. fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/hpms.cfm
	Highway Statistics	Provides annual reports containing analyzed statistical information on motor fuel, motor vehicle registrations, driver licenses, highway user taxation, highway mileage, travel, and highway finance.	X		http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm
Maritime	Various Reports	Provides information on vessel calls in U.S. ports and terminals, fleet statistics, and trade statistics.	X		http://www.marad.dot.gov/resources/data-statistics/
	Fleet Statistics	Provides fleet statistics.	X		http://www.marad.dot.gov/resources/data-statistics/
	U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Flag Fleet Lists	Provides agricultural trade statistics.	X		http://www.marad.dot.gov/resources/data-statistics/
	Marine Transportation System Data Inventory	Provides marine and safety statistics.	X		http://www.marad.dot.gov/resources/data-statistics/
	U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Data	Provides data on commerce, facilities, locks, dredging, imports and exports, and accidents.	X		http://www.navigationdatacenter.us/data/data1.htm
Pipeline	Oil Pipeline Statistics	Provides statistics on crude oil, gasoline, diesel, propane, jet fuel, ethanol, and other liquid fuels, including petroleum prices, crude reserves and production, refining and processing, imports/exports, stocks, and consumption/sales.	X		http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_pipe_dc_R20-R10_mbbl_m.htm
	Pipeline Safety Statistics	Provides data about federally regulated and State-regulated natural gas pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and liquefied natural gas plants.	X		http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/library/data-stats
Rail	Surface Transportation Board Rail Waybill Sample	Provides carload waybills for all U.S. rail traffic submitted by those rail carriers terminating 4,500 or more revenue carloads annually.	X	X	http://www.stb.dot.gov/stb/industry/econ_waybill.html
	Association of American Railroads	Provides information on North American freight railroads including finances, operations, performance, input cost indexes, traffic, U.S. carloads, intermodal traffic, and Class 1 rail tons.	X		https://www.aar.org/pages/freight-rail-traffic-data.aspx
	Railroad Performance Measures	Provides information on cars on line, train speed, and terminal dwell.	X		http://www.railroadpm.org/
Aviation	Air Cargo Summary Data	Provides a monthly freight summary, including both freight and mail carried by U.S. airlines in all service classes.	X		https://www.transtats.bts.gov/freight.asp
	Landing Weights	Provides information on landing weights for cargo bearing airports throughout the U.S.	X		http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/state_transportation_statistics/summary/index.html
Border Crossing	Trans-border Freight Data.	Contains freight flow data by commodity type and by mode of transportation.	X		http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/
	Texas A&M Transportation Institute Border Data	Provides average travel time of U.S.-bound commercial vehicles.	X		http://bcis.tamu.edu/Commercial/en-US/queryAr-chivedData.aspx