Our Transportation Services Division (TSD) serves as the definitive source for economic analysis of agricultural transportation from farm to market. TSD experts support domestic and international agribusinesses by providing market reports, economic analysis, transportation disruption reports, technical assistance, and outreach to various industry stakeholders.
Tracking developments in truck, rail, barge, and ocean transportation, TSD provides information and analysis on the four major modes of moving food from farm to table, port to market.
Reports of Interest
- 10-2018: The Impact of Infrastructure and Transportation Costs on U.S. Soybean Market Share: An Updated Analysis from 1992-2017 (pdf)
- 02-2018: Profile of Short Line Railroads (pdf)
- 01-2018: UPDATE ON United States–South America Ocean Grain Freight Spreads (pdf)
Grain Transportation
Find analysis and information about market developments affecting rail, barge, truck, and ocean vessel movements of grain.
Containers, Ports and Non-Grain Agricultural Products
Find insights into transportation of other agricultural products and information about the many agricultural products that require special handling and services during transit.
International Transportation Analysis
Find analysis of international transportation, including the latest transportation costs, volumes, and other market developments in Brazil and Mexico; and other related information.
Agricultural Transportation Research and Information Center
Find useful information and analysis on the transportation of agricultural products and the four major modes– trucking, railroads, barges, and ocean vessels– used to move food from farms to our tables and to ports for export to foreign markets. Find results of on-going research and analysis presented in issue papers and presentations, as well as additional resources available by mode and commodity.
Regulatory Representation
Find brief updates as well as comments provided to various regulatory agencies by USDA and AMS, representing the interests of agricultural shippers under the authority of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, and International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs Act of 1982.
Cooperative Agreement Summary
Ongoing, in-depth research and analysis helps provide an efficient and reliable transportation system that benefits agricultural and other shippers. The Transportation Services Division of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service periodically sponsors cooperative research on transportation matters of importance to USDA stakeholders.
Data
Find datasets that are used in producing many of the Transportation Services Division’s publications. These datasets are now available in Excel format for the transportation of grain, biofuels, and other agricultural products.