Details:

Corporate Creators:
United States. Dept. of Agriculture ; United States. Dept. of Transportation
United States. Dept. of Agriculture ; United States. Dept. of Transportation Less -
Subject/TRT Terms:
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Agriculture--Transportation--United States
Rural Transportation--United States
Agriculture
Rural Transportation

Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
United States
OCLC Number:
638965243
Corporate Publisher:
United States. Dept. of Agriculture ; United States. Dept. of Transportation
United States. Dept. of Agriculture ; United States. Dept. of Transportation Less -
NTL Classification:
NTL-ECONOMICS AND FINANCE-Transit Economics and Finance ; NTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Transit Planning and Policy ;
Abstract:
This report is in response to Section 6206 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (PL

110-246), which directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Transportation jointly to conduct a

study of rural transportation issues. The report reviews transportation and its effect on rural

communities, with an emphasis on agricultural transportation. It looks in depth into each of

the four major modes of transportation commonly used by agriculture in the United States:

trucking, railroads, barges, and ocean vessels, examining each in the light of its ability to meet

rural America’s transportation needs now and in the future. It identifies some broad issues that

merit attention from policy makers.

Transportation is critical to U.S. agriculture, which raises the food for America and feeds a

hungry world with its abundance. Our transportation system moves food from farms to our

tables, and to ports for export to foreign markets. The four major modes work together in a

seamless network, cooperating and competing with one another in a balanced and flexible

system that delivers products efficiently and economically in an ever-changing market.

Agriculture is the largest user of freight transportation in the United States, claiming 31 percent

of all ton-miles transported in the United States in 2007. Much of this freight travels out of the

country. Global agricultural supply and demand have changed rapidly since 1990. Corn and

soybeans have increased dramatically in both consumption and production. During the past 5

years, half of American wheat was exported, along with 36 percent of the soybean crop and 19

percent of the corn crop. These exports travel from the inland areas of the United States where

they are produced to borders and ports by way of a network of trucks, trains, and barges.

The need for agricultural transportation will continue to increase, based on projected growth in

the demand for U.S. agricultural products domestically and overseas.


Format:
PDF
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:4ca83235c4417a666a8011b4f0ceca2d72132decf4c9d46b50ac9da05e32803f
File Type:

Supporting Files

• No Additional Files

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