Freight Data for the Future

1. Freight Data for the Future Report From the TRB CFS Conference July 8-9, 2005 Joseph L. Schofer Northwestern University

2. Going Beyond CFS • Loving & hating CFS • TRB SR 277: • CFS … until something better comes along • Clarity on CFS limitations • Cottage industry evolved to make CFS useful • It’s time to talk about something better • Needs, opportunities beyond 2007

3. Freight Data for Decision Support • Support the policy debate • Infrastructure assurance • Assessment • Planning • Management • Security • Economic development • Competitive edge • Growth & change • Managing private, public & shared facilities

4. Road to a Better FDB • Why? • Avoid CFS flaws • Coverage • Aggregation • Context information • Better support for key facility & service decisions • Respond to new issues, challenges • What? • A new product – post 2007 • How? • New motivation • New methods • Use our accumulated knowledge • Who? • Coalition of users, providers needed to effect change

5. Not Just Your Father’s CFS • It’s not just about data collection • Must understand process, causality • Freight/logistics process is complex • Concerns both commodity and multimodal vehicle flows • Jointly owned – public, private interests • No dedicated (federal) investment program to drive decision needs • Data targets – decision & decision makers – not clear

6. Maersk BNSF Context, Complexity & Needs • Evolving context • Global economy • Intermodalism • Technology revolution (IT – more info) • Complex process, complex information • O-D x commodity x mode (x mode x mode) • Vehicle flows as well as shipments • Routes & LOS • Shipper, receiver attributes • Expanded coverage & detail • More industries • Exports & imports • 3PLs & warehouses • Geographic detail – SMA to SMA flows • Accessible database

7. TRB should lead definition of next FDB Forum for users, providers, governments, industry, researchers SAFETEA-LU mandates Transportation Information Needs Assessment Study By NAS–TRB Studies & Info Services Division Broad input from TRB technical committees Speak with coordinated voice Build support for FDB Learn from threat to 2007 CFS Show FDB around to gather support Trade groups & industries State & local governments Congress… Get Coalition on the bandwagon Defining the FutureFreight Database

8. Think Broadly: Data Types, Sources, Methods • Shipper survey is not enough • Shipper can’t always know freight path (determined by carrier, 3PL) • Load consolidation • Real-time mode choice • Intermodalism • Tracking the supply chain • Private sector collaboration • Protecting confidentiality • Tracking the products (RFID) • Multi-perspective data collection & fusion • Add shipper, receiver, LOS data • To understand causality • To build forecasting models • Continuous data collection

9. Coalition to Communicate Needs • Users • Government • Industry • Providers (OEM) • Government • Census • DOT • Others… • Industry • Cottage industry (modifiers) • TRB Role • SAFETEA-LU study • Ongoing effort

10. Moving to the Future…