DOT Publishes National Freight Strategic Plan

September 3 the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced the release of the first-ever National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP). The NFSP lays out the Administration outlook for long-term investments in infrastructure, the workforce, and other essential parts of the freight system.

The strategic goals of the NFSP are:

Safety: Improve the safety, security, and resilience of the national freight system.

Infrastructure: Modernize freight infrastructure and operations to grow the economy, increase competitiveness, and improve quality of life.

Innovation: Prepare for the future by supporting the development of data, technologies, and workforce capabilities that improve freight system performance.

Each goal is complemented by several strategic objectives identified in the plan to help achieve the national freight policy’s targets. The NFSP notes the impact international trade and e-commerce has had on decentralizing supply chains and increasing utilization of third-party logistics companies. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) also points out that the growth in freight demand has strained the current freight system and could threaten the competitive advantage of American businesses.

The DOT intends for the NFSP to detail how freight infrastructure and operations can be modernized to grow the economy, increase competitiveness, and plan to prepare for the future by supporting the development of data, technologies, and workforce capabilities that improve freight system performance.