The Commodity Flow Survey (CFS), a component of the Economic Census, is conducted every five years by the U.S. Census Bureau in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The 2007 survey is undertaken through a partnership between the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), U.S. Department of Transportation. The CFS was conducted previously in 2002, 1997, and 1993. This survey produces data on the movement of goods in the United States. It provides information on commodities shipped, their value, weight, and mode of transportation, as well as the origin and destination of shipments of commodities from manufacturing, mining, wholesale, and select retail and services establishments. The CFS data are used by policy makers and transportation planners in various federal, state, and local agencies for assessing the demand for transportation facilities and services, energy use, and safety risk and environmental concerns. Additionally, business owners, private researchers, and analysts use the CFS data for analyzing trends in the movement of goods, mapping spatial patterns of commodity and vehicle flows, forecasting demands for the movement of goods, and determining needs for associated infrastructure and equipment.

The CFS covers 5 areas: the whole of the United States; individual states; exports; hazardous materials; and, metropolitan areas. The metropolitan areas covered in the survey are: Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL CSA, Remainder of Alabama, Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ MeSA, Tucson, AZ MeSA, Remainder of Arizona, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA CSA, San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA MeSA, Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Truckee, CA-NV CSA (CA Part), San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA, Remainder of California, Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO CSA, Remainder of Colorado, New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA (CT Part), Remainder of Connecticut, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MeSA (DC Part), Jacksonville, FL MeSA, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL MeSA, Orlando-The Villages, FL CSA, Tampa-St Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MeSA, Remainder of Florida, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA-AL CSA (GA Part), Remainder of Georgia, Honolulu, HI MeSA, Remainder of Hawaii, Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI CSA (IL Part), St Louis, MO-IL MeSA (IL Part), Remainder of Illinois, Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI CSA (IN Part), Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, IN CSA, Remainder of Indiana, Kansas City, MO-KS MeSA (KS Part), Remainder of Kansas, Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN CSA (KY Part), Remainder of Kentucky, New Orleans-Metairie-Bogalusa, LA CSA, Remainder of Louisiana, Baltimore-Towson, MD MeSA, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MeSA (MD Part), Remainder of Maryland, Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-NH CSA (MA Part), Remainder of Massachusetts, Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI CSA, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Holland, MI CSA, Remainder of Michigan, Minneapolis-St Paul-St Cloud, MN-WI CSA (MN Part), Remainder of Minnesota, Kansas City, MO-KS MeSA (MO Part),St Louis-St Charles-Farmington, MO-IL CSA (MO Part), Remainder of Missouri, Las Vegas-Paradise-Pahrump, NV CSA, Remainder of Nevada, New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA (NJ Part), Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA (NJ Part), Remainder of New Jersey, Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam, NY CSA, Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Tonawanda, NY MeSA, New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA (NY Part), Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY CSA, Remainder of New York, Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC CSA (NC Part), Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC CSA, Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA, Remainder of North Carolina, Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA (OH Part), Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH CSA, Columbus-Marion-Chillicothe, OH CSA, Dayton-Springfield-Greenville, OH CSA, Remainder of Ohio, Oklahoma City-Shawnee, OK CSA, Tulsa-Bartlesville, OK CSA, Remainder of Oklahoma, Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA MeSA (OR Part), Remainder of Oregon, Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA (PA Part), Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA CSA, Remainder of Pennsylvania, Greenville-Anderson-Seneca, SC CSA, Spartanburg-Gaffney-Union, SC CSA, Remainder of South Carolina, Memphis, TN-MS-AR MeSA (TN Part), Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Columbia, TN CSA, Remainder of Tennessee, Austin-Round Rock, TX MeSA, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX CSA, Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX CSA, San Antonio, TX MeSA, Remainder of Texas, Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield, UT CSA, Remainder of Utah, Richmond, VA MeSA, Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MeSA (VA Part), Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV CSA (VA Part), Remainder of Virginia, Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia, WA CSA, Remainder of Washington, Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI CSA, Remainder of Wisconsin.