National Multimodal Freight Policy

Safe, reliable, and efficient freight transportation boosts exports, enhances commerce, and powers economic growth.  Our robust national multimodal freight system consists of millions of miles highways, railways, inland waterways and pipelines, as well as hundreds of ports, airports, border crossing, and intermodal facilities.  This system supports our economy by lowering costs to businesses and consumers, and boosting the competitiveness of American goods abroad. The safe and efficient movement of goods through our freight system is a top priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act establishes a National Multimodal Freight Policy that includes national goals to guide decision-making and requires the development of a National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP) and a National Multimodal Freight Network (NMFN).  The U.S. DOT has developed the NFSP that includes a vision and strategic goals to inform infrastructure planning, coordinate investments, and support future freight efficiencies that improve the safety and efficiency of the entire freight system.

On this page, you can find links to the Department’s National Freight Strategic Plan and Executive Summary.  In addition, the Department has issued guidance on State Freight Plans and State Freight Advisory Committees and this guidance can be accessed via the links on the left.

For further questions or comments, please email freight@dot.gov.