The Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) is a regional organization that cooperates in the planning, operation, preservation, and improvement of transportation infrastructure in the Mississippi Valley region. The ten states of the The Mississippi Valley region share key interstate corridors, inland waterways, and the Great Lakes.
Together, the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin play an integral role in goods movement throughout the entire United States. This is in part due to the access to East, West, and South markets provided by its central location, but also due to the historically large consumer base and manufacturing capacity. The combined population of the MAFC represents about 22 percent of the country’s overall population. The region has traditionally had a major role in bulk goods such as coal and agricultural products, but also in automotive and large machinery production. Higher value goods such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and furniture have also gained traction in the region.
According to US DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics 2007 commodity flow survey statistics, the MAFC states represent a sizable portion of the country’s freight movements. In US, trucks transport 70 percent of total tonnage, and 71 percent of the total value of goods. This modal split is similar in the MAFC, with trucks carrying 69 percent of total tonnage and 77 percent of value in the region.
In relation to the entire US, the MAFC states combine to transport 28 percent of total truck tonnage, and 63 percent of US rail tonnage. By value, the MAFC is responsible for 56 percent of US truck value, and 56 percent of rail value.