U.S. Freight and Supply Chain Activity Indicators

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics leads an interagency effort to provide timely information on supply chain activity. The data covers four key areas: Port Data Inside and Outside the Gate, Freight Movement, and Transportation Labor and Capacity Tightness. Data is updated weekly, with new charts added in May 2025 to reflect the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in Port Data Inside the Gate to assess terminal congestion and throughput efficiency.
• Model correlations between Freight Movement metrics and Transportation Labor and Capacity Tightness indicators.
• Track weekly updates of Port Data Outside the Gate to monitor drayage and local trucking activity.
• Study the impact of the CPKC merger on Freight Movement patterns using post-April 2023 data.

Strengths

• Data is produced by a U.S. government interagency working group led by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
• Covers four distinct analytical areas: Port Data Inside/Outside the Gate, Freight Movement, and Transportation Labor.
• Updated weekly, with a notable update in May 2025 to incorporate data from the merged CPKC railroad.

Limitations

• Specific data volume, row count, and column structure are not provided, limiting pre-analysis assessment.
• Historical charts for the separate CP and KCS railroads are no longer updated, creating a data discontinuity.
• The description focuses on chart visuals; the underlying raw data's completeness and granularity are unclear.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Collection Method

Compiled by an interagency working group including relevant DOT modes and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Commerce, and Labor.

Time Range

Data is current and updated weekly; includes data from at least April 2023 onward for the CPKC merger.

Freshness

Updated weekly; last updated March 18, 2026.

Geography

United States, with specific port and freight movement data.