Introduction With the new era of supply and demand of the 21st century, the challenges faced with the movement of freight in the United States continue to grow on a daily basis. The freight industry, both the private and government sectors, are continuously faced with the obstacles of the current transportation infrastructure. Whether these challenges are continuing to maintain and expand the transportation systems in the United States via government bills such as MAP-21 and SAFETEA-LU, or constantly studying and predicting what the nation’s transportation infrastructure will have to conform and adapt to be able to handle current and future freight logistics, freight corridors, major congestion issues, and safety and environmental concerns. In this paper these topics will be discussed in depth along with the approach to keeping the freight moving and the economy strong. 1.) MAP-21-Moving Ahead For Progress in the 21st Century One of the most influential and major steps towards keeping a strong freight transportation system has been the implementation of MAP-21 by President Obama in 2012. Within this large bill there were several significant freight provisions outlined. These provisions were aimed at the, “economic competitiveness and efficiency; congestion; productivity; safety, security, and resilience of freight movement; infrastructure condition; use of advanced technology; performance, innovation, competition, and accountability in the operation and maintenance of the network; and environmental impacts.” [1] The purposes of these provisions set forth are to improve the overall condition and the efficiency of the nation’s freight network. The significant freight provisions are basically large investments that have been made int... ... middle of paper ... ...ces for a low price and is used widely across the United States. The largest concentrations for intermodal transportation can be found on routes between Pacific Coast ports and Chicago, southern California and Texas, as well as in New York. Recurring congestion is a major factor when looking at the efficiency that freight is moved around the country. The cause of recurring congestion is mainly from the volume of passenger vehicles and trucks on the road. The number of vehicles exceeds the capacity of the roadways during peak hours. These congestion problems exist primarily in is concentrated primarily in major metropolitan areas. In the year 2007, the congestion during peak travel hours resulted in traffic slowing below posted speed limits on 11,700 miles of the NHS. The congestion also resulted in creating stop-and-go conditions on an additional 6,700 miles of NHS.
Surface Transportation Board (2012). FY 2012 Annual Report. Washington, DC: Chairman Daniel R. Elliott III
The developments in transportation changed the American economy and society from 1820 to 1860 in ways of an increased land value, faster traded goods, new cities, and a deeper sense of nationalism. Before these changes came about, the US economy and society was based on an agrarian setting. After this time frame, American Society turned into a capitalist marketplace. In the northern US, there were few changes in terms of industry because they were involved in an industrial revolution. However, the new Transportation Revolution blasted the West into an agricultural empire that provided consumable exports to the other parts of the country.
Throughout the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century, the United States economy changed dramatically as the country transformed from a rural agricultural nation to an urban industrial gian, becoming the leading manufacturing country in the world. The vast expansion of the railroads in the late 1800s’ changed the early American economy by tying the country together into one national market. The railroads provided tremendous economic growth because it provided a massive market for transporting goods such as steel, lumber, and oil. Although the first railroads were extremely successful, the attempt to finance new railroads originally failed. Perhaps the greatest physical feat late 19th century America was the creation of the transcontinental railroad. The Central Pacific Company, starting in San Francisco, and the new competitor, Union Pacific, starting in Omaha. The two companies slaved away crossing mountains, digging tunnels, and laying track the entire way. Both railroads met at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869, and drove one last golden spike into the completed railway. Of course the expansion of railroads wasn’t the only change being made. Another change in the economy was immigration.
The United States trucking industry is a very thriving industry and has continued to grow since the beginning of the 1900’s. The motor carrier act of 1935 allowed regulations to be set for the growing trucking industry. These standards made trucking safer for the driver and others as well. With the growing of mass production of products, transporting these goods was not efficient using trains or other types of shipping, so large trucks and trailers became the most popular method for shipping. This created a huge market for truck producers to supply trucks for the new form of freight transportation. Brother’s Jack and Augustus Mack saw the perfect opportunity to use their mechanical abilities.
The railroad played a major role in forging the history of many countries including the United States of America. The railroad began to bring people to places that before then where only accessed by weeks of dangerous travel over harsh and deadly terrain. The industrial revolution had ushered in a completely new era. The new era was one of mass production, supply and demand, and new requirements of industry. The growth of industry had created new demands for transit, trade, and more robust supply lines. The railroad boom across the U.S. had spread and proceeded to grow the economy quickly therefore, many people began using the rail roads just as quickly. The rail market continued to grow and by the 1860’s all major cities within the United States were connected by rail.
The United States saw a 50 percent more increase between 1873 and 1881. The transported freight increased to 7.48 billion ton/mile in 1873 from only 2.16 in 1865. It had more than doubled by 1881 with 16.06 billion ton/mile being transported across the United States.
...number of people depending on the movement of goods and transportation is always going to be a large portion of the population. “ This is perhaps the most important force in shifting from the old paradigm. Because customers want products when, where, and how they choose, distribution is increasingly a vital component of the supply chain” (Kirchhoff M, Peacock J. 2005). Expanding the clearing yards to a larger number of rails should begin to decrease the amount of congestion the city is witnessing with their freight traffic. Even the problems are being stressed amongst the citizens of the state. The arrival times are unpredictable and are breaking down all the time. Being old like the rest of the rail infrastructure it needs to be repaired as well. “About $8.7 billion is needed to bring it up to "good repair" but no funding plan is in place” (Van Hampton, T. 2007).
The trucking industry over the years have changed the type of services and the quality that it has provides to its customers. In today’s industry the focus is on efficiency with the overall beneficiary being the American consumer. Majority of today’s freight is being transported by truck during sometime in the distribution chain. Some of factors the trucking industry is facing today include hours and earnings and safety issues.
The American economy has suffered many financial blows in the recent years, but none have such a drastic and heavy effect on the average American than the rising gas prices. A solution to the Gas Crisis, a new and formidable crisis involving the high cost for gasoline powered transportation, must have widespread results across American commuters to either increase the efficiency of drivers, drastically lower gas prices, or provide alternate modes of transportation, consequently allowing for American commuters to be able to efficiently transport themselves at a moderate price.
Railroads were America’s first big business and contributed a great deal towards advancing industrialization. Beginning in the early 1870's, railroad construction in the United States expanded substantially. Before the year 1871, approximately fourty-five thousand miles of track had been laid. Up until the 1900's another one-hundred and seventy thousand miles were added to the nation's growing railroad system. This growth came about due to the erection of transcontinental railroads. Railroads supplied cities and towns with food, fuel, materials, and access to markets. The railroad system made way for an economic prosperity. The railroad system helped to build the physical growth of cities and towns. It even became another means of communication. Most importantly, it helped to produce a second
In the past two decades, transportation cost of cargo has decreased that has aided in improving productivity and economic growth. Nonetheless, the operations of the market forces and the rising cost of fuel as well as environmental concerns impact on the cost of transporting goods from one place to another. Subsequently, the high cost of moving goods will be felt throughout the economy affecting enter...
The recent surge in the cost of heating oil, diesel fuel, and gasoline in the United States has had significant impact on many sectors of the U.S. economy, but most importantly it has had quite a devastating affect on the trucking industry. This is important due to the fact that nearly “70% of U.S. communities rely solely on trucking for their supplies” (“ATA” 23). If the government continues it’s trend of non-intervention and refuses to place pressure on OPEC, the prices will continue to soar well over the two-dollar mark, and cause the trucking industry as a whole to shut down bringing the U.S. economy to a grinding halt.
The development of every nation hinges on the effectiveness of their transportation systems. Movement of goods, services and people to and from locations is made possible by transportation systems. The importance of effective transportation systems cannot be over-emphasized. Many countries face transportation problems and my country Ghana is no exception. A trip of about 30 minutes usually takes about an hour or more due to traffic jams. This is seriously impacting productivity and has become a topical issue in the country. The situation is the same in Uganda where I currently work. To this end, Transportation Engineers are needed to design roads/ highways that will stand the test of time, plan effective traffic management systems to reduce
Rail transportation is a transportation in which for movement of people and goods which from one location to another destination. Rail had been takes the important role in physical and economic development of town and cities in a country and it was developed over the world. Rail transport can be made a property value in a country increase and it must be needs improvement in transportation network expanding (Goldberg, 1970). Thus, the railway services need to be done with continuous improvement and it is important to the rail passengers of the range and quality of facilities and service on stations and trains (Gleave, S. D., 2000). The future development to a public transportation is a key to affect
Transportation is vital to a nation's economy. Reducing the costs of transporting natural resources to production sites and moving finished goods to markets is one of the key factors in economic competition. The transportation industry is the largest industry in the world. It includes the manufacture and distribution of vehicles, the production and distribution of fuel, and the provision of transportation services. In the 1990s, approximately 11 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and an estimated 10 percent of all jobs in the United States were related to the transportation industry.