Latest Supply Chain and Freight Indicators

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation has convened an interagency working group, led by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, to develop timely information on supply chain activity. The working group includes relevant DOT modes and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Commerce and Labor.

BTS freight information is organized into four sections:

Port Congestion - Inside the Gate
Port Congestion - Outside the Gate
Freight Movement
Transportation Labor and Capacity Tightness
Notes & Sources

Port Congestion - Inside the Gate

Capacity of Containerships at U.S. Ports
Loaded Import Containers at Select U.S. Ports
Loaded Export Containers at Select U.S. Ports
Empty Export Containers at Select U.S. Ports
Empty Export Containers at Select U.S. Ports by Month and Year
Number of Containerships Anchored off U.S. Ports
Containerized Exports at U.S. Ports
Containerized Imports at U.S. Ports
Number of Containerships Waiting Berths at U.S. Ports

Port Congestion - Outside the Gate

Average Train Speed by Railroad
Average Train Velocity by Region by Railroad
Rail Cars on Line by Region by Railroad
Average Terminal Dwell Time by Railroad
Average Terminal Dwell Time by Region by Railroad
Average Major Terminal Dwell Time by Region by Railroad
Average Truck Speed at 10 Bottlenecks
Average Planning Time Index (PTI) at 10 Bottlenecks
Average Truck Speed around Port of Los Angeles - Long Beach
Average Truck Speed around Port of New York - New Jersey
PTI around Port of Los Angeles - Long Beach
PTI around Port of New York - New Jersey
PTI by Time of Day around Port of Los Angeles - Long Beach
Average Truck Speed by Time of Day around Port of Los Angeles - Long Beach
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Freight Movement

U.S. Total Rail Carloads
U.S. Total Rail Intermodal
Containers on Rail Flat Cars
Trailers on a Rail Flat Car
Interstate Vehicle Miles Traveled: Percent Change from 2019
Freight Transportation Services Index: 2019, 2020, 2021
New Active Carriers Added to MCMIS
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Transportation Costs, Labor, and Demand

Transportation Job Openings and Labor Turnover
Non-Farm Truck Transportation Employees
Warehousing and Storage Employees
Rail Transportation Employees
Truck Spot Rates by Truck Type
Producer Price Index for Trucking by Generalized and Specialized Freight
Downbound Grain Barge Rates
Freight Rate per 40ft Container To Central China (Shanghai) from U.S. Midwest, U.S. West Coast
Freight Rate per 40ft Container from Shanghai to LA
Total Business: Inventory to Sales Ratio: 2019, 2020, 2021
Personal Consumption Expenditures on Durable Goods
U.S. Goods Imports, Nominal
U.S. Goods Imports, Indexed
U.S. Diesel Sales Prices
Producer Price Index: Diesel Fuel
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Notes

These selected measures are provisional indicators of transportation activity and have not been reviewed for representativeness or other aspects of statistical quality. Additional measures will be added as they become available.

Capacity of Containerships Calling at U.S. Ports: this series is now based on CBP's Vessel Management System (VMS) data (previously based on AIS data from IHS). This VMS series counts only vessels entering port for an official reason, typically to load or unload cargo which makes the number lower since the previous AIS series counted any vessel entering a port. The current week is an estimate; data is subject to change as remaining data is received over subsequent weeks.
Empty Export Containers (in TEUs), Aggregated Select U.S. Ports: Includes the ports of LA-LB, NY-NJ, Oakland, Sea-Tac, Port of VA, Charleston, Savannah, and Houston.
Containerships Anchored off U.S. Ports: This metric shows the number of container ships within US port boundaries, that are inbound (not outbound), that have automatic identification system (AIS) status "anchored" and are not moored/birthed. This metric is a snapshot; the vessels are counted using AIS live by U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Tuesday afternoons.
Containerized Imports and Exports: Includes data for all U.S. container ports. Data subject to revision due to data source gaps.
Containerships Awaiting Berths: LA-LB totals include containerships in drift/holding areas. Data reported at more frequent intervals starting October 18, 2021.
NHS Weekday Peak Hour Travel Time Median Speed (mph): The chart shows National Highway System roadways and Urban Interstate Highways weekday freight truck median speed compared to speed for the same month of previous years. Source: Federal Highway Administration, National Performance Management Research Data Set.
LA/LB and NY Port Area Reliability - Average Truck Speed on the National Highway System Within 5 Miles of Port (mph) and Planning Time Index on the National Highway System Within 5 Miles of Port: Planning Time Index (PTI): Ratio of 95th percentile truck speeds and free-flow truck speeds within five miles of port. Average Truck Speeds on the National Highway System within five miles of port. Source: Federal Highway Administration, National Performance Management Research Data Set.
Average Weekday Truck Speed at Interstate Bottlenecks Locations (mph) and Planning Time Index at Interstate Bottleneck Locations: Planning Time Index (PTI): Ratio of 95th percentile truck speeds and free-flow truck speeds. Source: Federal Highway Administration, National Performance Management Research Data Set.
Rail Non-Intermodal Carloads and Intermodal Units: U.S. traffic excludes the U.S. operations of Canadian and Mexican railroads.
Freight Transportation Service Index: Economically weighted volume of freight and passenger transportation services moved by the for-hire transportation sector in the U.S.
New Active Carriers Added to MCMIS: For-hire carriers includes either for-hire only or for-hire and private operation. Private carriers only includes private carrier operations. There are additional operational categories so new active for-hire carriers and new active private carriers will not sum to the new active carriers total.
Job Openings and Labor Turnover: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities Sector (Seasonally Adjusted): Monthly job openings, hires, and separations (includes Quits, Layoffs, Other Separations) for Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (which includes Truck Transportation). When hires exceed separations, the industry experiences job growth, and Quits are a measure of employees' willingness to leave a job (e.g., generally as the economy improves). Data in this chart represents wage and salary workers only and excludes owner-operators and independent contractors.
Month-to-Month Change in Employment - Truck Transportation Employees on Non-Farm Payroll (Seasonally Adjusted): Data in this chart represents wage and salary workers only, and excludes owner-operators and independent contractors. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics
Truck Spot Rates: This data is for spot market trucking loads, which is approximately one-tenth of the overall common carrier trucking market. The data provider (DAT) is the largest clearinghouse for shipments that are not part of a pre-existing hauling contract. Dry van includes freight transported in enclosed cargo holds.
Producer Price Index (PPI): PPI data are survey data collected monthly and indexed to 12/2003=100. Respondents provide data on Tuesday of the week containing the 13th of the month.
Downbound Grain Barge Rates: Weekly barge rates for downbound freight originating from seven locations along the Mississippi River System, which includes the Mississippi River and its tributaries (e.g., Upper Mississippi River, Illinois River, Ohio River, etc.). The seven locations are: (1) "Twin Cities," a stretch along the Upper Mississippi; (2) "Mid-Mississippi," a stretch between eastern Iowa and western Illinois; (3) "Illinois River," along the lower portion of the Illinois River; (4) "St. Louis"; (5) "Cincinnati," along the middle third of the Ohio River; (6) "Lower Ohio," approximately the final third of the Ohio River; and (7) "Cairo-Memphis," from Cairo, IL, to Memphis, TN. Under the percent-of-tariff system, each city on the river has its own benchmark, with the northern most cities having the highest benchmarks. They are as follows: Twin Cities = 619; Mid-Mississippi = 532; St. Louis = 399; Illinois = 464; Cincinnati = 469; Lower Ohio = 446; and Cairo-Memphis = 314. Breaks in the lines indicate no rate record for that week at that location.
Ocean Freight Rates: Spot ocean freight rates for a single container transaction in the selected westbound transpacific trade routes.
Inventory-to-Sales Ratio: The ratio of total inventory at retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers, divided by total sales. Data on inventory and sales are based on Census Bureau surveys. Data adjusted for seasonal, holiday and trading day differences but not for price changes.
U.S. Diesel Sales Prices: Weighted average based on sampling of approximately 350 retail outlets, as reported for the week ending Monday.

Sources