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Tolls on Large Trucks

Top 10 Trucking Bottlenecks

by Jacob Martinez

Since its inception in 2002, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has been at the forefront of collecting and analyzing truck GPS data to support various federal and state freight mobility initiatives. ATRI develops and meticulously tracks key performance indicators through its expansive freight truck GPS data repository, essential for understanding and improving the nation’s freight transportation system.

One of the standout facets of ATRI’s work is its adeptness at transforming truck GPS data into a continuous evaluation of truck bottlenecks. This process entails identifying areas where traffic congestion significantly hampers the movement of truck-borne freight across the nation, pinpointing over 325 locations of critical congestion. This analysis is not merely a superficial overview; it thoroughly examines factors such as traffic volume, speed variations, and geographical nuances.

Unlike other analyses that might broadly outline congested routes, ATRI’s dataset is unparalleled in its ability to zoom into granular chokepoints within the country’s truck freight transportation network.

Trucking Bottlenecks

ATRI’s research has value far beyond academia—it directly influences decision-making processes in various industries. By providing an in-depth comprehension of how congestion and delays impede mobility within the U.S. highway transportation system, ATRI’s findings serve as guiding beacons for investment strategies.

ATRI’s annual bottleneck list is particularly noteworthy, as it emerges as an indispensable resource, especially in the context of national initiatives such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which aim to ameliorate supply chain disruptions.

ATRI’s bottleneck analysis is a multifaceted endeavor that amalgamates numerous elements. ATRI offers a nuanced understanding of mobility challenges by leveraging a rich repository of truck GPS data from key freight-centric locations nationwide and employing sophisticated algorithms to gauge the impact of congestion on truck-based freight. The annual reports furnish a chronological narrative of mobility trends and empower transportation analysts and planners to gauge performance benchmarks and discern critical factors contributing to congestion.

For those keen on delving deeper, ATRI provides access to the 2024 Bottleneck Top Ten Location Animations, Executive Summary, and detailed exposition of the research methodology. Additionally, the map conspicuously highlights states harboring one or more of the top 100 truck bottlenecks for easy comprehension and analysis.

Users can download congestion profiles by clicking on the respective state. A meticulously organized table beneath the map presents the top 100 bottleneck locations in rank order. Individual congestion profiles are readily accessible through hyperlinks and sortable columns, facilitating enhanced analysis and interpretation.

Top-10 Trucking Bottlenecks, Tracking Animations

#10 Nashville, TN: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East)

#9 Atlanta, GA: I-285 at SR 400

#8 Houston, TX: I-10 at I-45

#7 Los Angeles, CA: SR 60 at SR 57 

#6 Atlanta, GA: I-20 at I-285 (West)

#5 Atlanta, GA: I-285 at I-85 (North)

#4 Houston, TX: I-45 at I-69/US 59

#3 Chicago, IL: I-55

#2 Chicago, IL: I-294 at I-290/I-88

#1 Fort Lee, NJ: I-95 at SR 4

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