Freight and Commodity Analysis
Understanding commodity flows is critical to freight transportation planning and economic development. This project summarizes the development and implementation of the data analysis for quantifying statewide commodity flow movements using Transearch
data. This statewide project was conducted by the FDOT Transportation Data and Analytics Office (TDA) in coordination with the FDOT Freight and Multimodal Operations office (FMO). The analysis developed as part of this project establishes a consistent,
data-driven and repeatable set of procedures to objectively understand the commodity flow patterns at the statewide and county levels.
The study process involved the following steps:
1) Provide a summary of Transearch data and data attributes.
2) Explain the statistical analyses performed to prepare base year(2018) and forecast year data (2030 and 2045).
3) Highlight the limitations of Transearch data and key differences between Federal Highway Administration’s Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) and Transearch.
4) Analyze freight activity in Florida including modal movements that originate and terminate in the state for different commodities.
Transearch data utilized as part of this project, is a proprietary comprehensive U.S.
county-level freight movement database produced by IHS Markit. It consists of freight movement data used for freight planning and forecasting and provides detailed information on commodity type, tonnage, value, unit, origin-destination and mode.
Transearch includes market-to-market flow data for more than 35 broad commodity categories (400+ subgroups) and seven modes of transportation.
The objective of this project is to develop a report on Florida’s freight and commodities
as it relates to the transportation system. The analysis of Transearch information provided by IHS Markit supports the development of a statewide commodity flow profile as well as county freight brochures. As part of the first task, a project management
schedule was established by conducting coordination meetings between the project team members, FDOT task managers and the project stakeholders. The project stakeholders included Transportation Data and Analytics Office, Systems Implementation Office,
Freight Logistics and Passenger Operations Office and District Freight Coordinators (DFCs). Subsequently, project kick off meeting and stakeholder meetings were conducted to collect business requirements for data analysis of Florida’s commodity
flow movements.
Freight Brochures (Map PDF Links - Click a County or District title below)
What's inside the brochures? Each brochure includes the following:
- Page 2: Population, employment, largest and fastest growing industry sectors (by employment) and some interesting facts.
- Page 3: Top import and export commodities (by tonnage and value).
- Page 4: Top trading partners (by tonnage).
- Page 5: Illustrative map which includes Strategic Intermodal System (SIS), National Highway Freight Network (NHFN), major freight employers and major land use types.
- Page 6: Major commodities by tonnage and value as per their shares relative to Florida.
- Page 7: Major transportation statistics and freight movement by mode for county/district (includes: domestic, intra-state and other North-America movements).
- Page 8: Important Florida highlights.
- Page 9: Major transportation statistics and freight movement by mode for Florida.
For additional information or to submit a data request, please contact:
| Joel Worrell Transportation Data Inventory Manager Florida Department of Transportation Transportation Data and Analytics Office 605 Suwannee St., MS 27 Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 414-4715 | Makarand Gawade Transportation Data Support Consultant Florida Department of Transportation Transportation Data and Analytics Office 605 Suwannee St., MS 27 Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 414-4728 | |