Author: Mid-America Freight Coalition

Image of map showing U.S.A. Marine Highway Routes

America’s Forgotten Marine Highway Network That Could Green Global Freight Transport

Maritime

“The U.S. maritime industry has long been a neglected sector and has not received as much attention as transformation in road transport (e.g., electric and autonomous trucking) and air transport (e.g., the development of electric and autonomous cargo drones). The electric and autonomous shipping revolution is being driven primarily by China and Scandinavian countries. With […]

Hopper style rail cars

MAFC has completed an Analysis of Surface Transportation Board Waybill Data for Freight Planning and Operations.

MAFC Rail

The objective of this study is to review the STB rail waybill data, analyze it, and examine the adequacy of the data for state freight rail planning and operations decision-making. The study reviews waybill data, focusing on aspects including accessibility, composition, quality, and usability of the data. It compares the waybill data against alternate databases, […]

Multiple MAFC states benefit from Marine Highway Funding

Maritime News

Continued efforts in developing the marine freight system across the MAASTO region are paying off. Funds have specifically been granted to ports in Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. Neighboring states, upstream and downstream MAASTO states will also benefit from this funding. On June 15, 2020 U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announced $9.5 Million in Grants […]

Commodity Flow Survey Workshop has been postponed.

News

Many of you have likely received notification directly from TRB, but the Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) Workshop set for April 2 & 3 has been postponed until September 24-25, 2020. Please see the event page for more information: https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/09-24-2020/commodity-flow-survey-workshop.

Trucks in snow illustrating highway freight transportation.

AASHTO submits comments on National Strategic Freight Plan

Highway News

AASHTO provided comments on freight reauthorization to the U.S. DOT this past February. The AASHTO freight policy perspective reflects a continued interest to better define the multimodal freight system, provide funding and program flexibility, allow for technological advances, build on freight performance measures, improve project delivery and re-establish a freight-specific, cooperative research program. The AASHTO […]

MAASTO States work to provide safe and sufficient truck parking.

MAASTO MAFC

This article was originally posted on January 7, 2020. MAFC has completed a Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) Regional Truck Parking Inventory project for the MAASTO Motor Carriers Committee and the Standing Committee on Highway Transport examining and mapping truck parking availability, parking amenities, and lot information. The report summarizes public parking […]

California Authorizes Light-Duty Autonomous Delivery Vehicles

News

This article was originally posted on January 2, 2020. California will allow the testing and commercialuse of light-duty autonomous delivery vehicles on the state’s public roads,and residents could soon receive deliveries from an autonomous vehicle. In developing and adopting this rule-making, the DMV followed the same approach used for past AV regulations packages, including a […]