Accurately measuring the magnitude of freight movement is a
challenge. No single data source provides complete and timely
information on all freight transportation modes for all goods
and sectors of the economy. The Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) is
the primary source of national- and state-level data on domestic
freight shipments by American businesses. As a shipper-based
survey, the CFS collects information on how U.S. establishments
transport raw materials and finished goods; the types of
commodities shipped by mode of transportation; the value,
weight, origin, and destinations of shipments; and the distance
shipped. It covers establishments classified in the North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as
manufacturing, mining, and wholesale trade. Produced as part of
the Economic Census, the CFS allows analysis of the nations
freight activities within the context of changes in the nations
economy. The CFS data are helpful in market analysis of how
businesses use competing transportation modes to mo