Baseline of the US National Freight System

The USDOT Office of Intermodalism requested CIFTS to assist in the preparation of the 2007 progress report to Congress on the National Intermodal Freight Transportation System (NITSIP). This work consisted of preparing the first chapter of the report, a baseline of the existing freight system for all transportation modes. This baseline documentation includes figures, tables, geographic information system (GIS) maps and explanatory text.

The analysis includes data representations of freight by international versus domestic, value and volume comparisons by mode, cargo-handling equipment inventories, major corridors and border crossings, and locations of extreme congestion. Faculty from Vanderbilt University, the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) and the University of Memphis contributed to the final report. The draft chapter was not included in the final NITSIP report.

Supplemental Notes: This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program (University of Memphis, Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute).

Please contact Jimmy Dobbins for more information about this project. The full text of the report is available here.