Improving the reliability of freight travel

American businesses and households depend on the reliable movement of goods, with U.S. freight carriers moving more than 19 billion tons of products in 2002, worth some $13 trillion. Trucks carried about 60% of the tonnage and 70% of the value. As demand for goods and services increases, so will the amount of truck traffic on U.S. highways. Manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and fleet operators consider reliability and other characteristics of the transportation network when choosing the best method to deliver raw materials to the factory and finished goods to customers. With the recent adoption of just-in-time management approaches, manufacturers and distributors are even more dependent on efficient shipment of goods, making a reliable freight transportation system that much more indispensable. The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Freight Management and Operations is responsible for advancing programs, policies, and initiatives that improve the Nation's highway freight system. This article provides an overview of the FHWA Freight Office's Freight Performance Measurement initiative to monitor and measure the performance of the U.S. freight system. The goal of the project is to determine how effectively the surface transportation network is accommodating the increasing demand for reliable freight movement and meeting the demands and expectations of its users.