Study Overview

      Study Overview
      Freight Story
      Regional Goods Movement System
            Freight Activity Centers
            Regional Freight Corridors
            Local Truck Routes
            Freight Hot Spots

Resources

      Maps and Data
      White Papers
      Freight Library
      Glossary
      Freight Photo Gallery
      Freight Video
      Organization Links
      Study Documents

Regional Database

      Interactive Freight Database

Freight Corridor Studies

      Freight Corridor Screening Process
      Freight Corridor Study Guidelines
      Freight Corridor Screening Reports

Goods Movement Partners

      Goods Movement Advisory Committee
      Transportation Providers Committee

Freight Story

The Tampa Bay Region's freight system is an extraordinary resource for the promotion of commerce, the creation of jobs, and the improvement in the quality of life of our residents. This system encompasses over-the-road transport, water transport, air cargo, and rail freight carriers, as well as freight terminals, warehousing facilities, and local and regional distribution centers. It also includes the following supporting transportation infrastructure:

  • 1,600 miles of designated truck routes;
  • 500 miles of active CSX Transportation (CSXT) railroad and siding tracks;
  • Approximately 143 million square feet of industrial space, with an additional 76 million square feet approved for development;
  • Extensive seaport facilities at the Port of Tampa; and
  • Growing air cargo operations at Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.

Geographically, Tampa Bay is situated to benefit from the emerging economies of South America and Cuba. It has a major seaport, two large airports, and a large labor force. Aggressive expansions are planned at the major intermodal facilities to meet the needs of shippers throughout the region. However, these growth plans will not be effectively realized unless the supporting transportation infrastructure, including the roadways, railways, and intermodal transfer facilities, provide a seamless flow of goods into and out of our seaports, airports, warehouses, and distribution centers.

Investments in freight transportation improvements that reduce the cost of moving goods to and from markets increase and sustain economic growth. Adequate transportation is considered a key site location requirement as it affects an area’s business costs, market, and overall competitiveness for attracting large-scale business investments. To capture its share of future economic opportunities, it is essential for the Tampa Bay Region to integrate county and regional economic development plans with transportation and comprehensive plans.

The success of our airports, seaports, and rail intermodal facilities to attract new clients, satisfy existing clients, and remain competitive for world trade is highly dependant on the effectiveness of the local transportation system to serve facilities. A transportation system that provides for efficient freight transport increases the area’s business attractions, expansions, retentions, and startups. A challenge to local government agencies is to recognize that inadequate access can negatively affect intermodal operations and the efficient movement of goods. The efficient movement of goods throughout the region relies on the integration of freight infrastructure, equipment, personnel, and information systems. All of these components must work together in order to sustain the regional economy. Therefore, the movement of freight, as it relates to economic development, should be considered an important factor when developing annual priorities for transportation improvement projects.

To illustrate the importance of goods Movement on our local and regional economies consider the economic impact of the region’s largest intermodal facilities:

The Port of Tampa1
  • Contributes $8 billion annually to the Tampa Bay Region (2007);
  • Is directly or indirectly responsible for 107,000 jobs;
  • Handles 50 percent of Florida’s waterborne cargo; and
  • Top commodities: Machinery, computers/electronics, Medical/Dental Equipment, and Photo Equipment.

Tampa International Airport2
  • Transported 101,600 tons of cargo, and 25,550 tons of mail in 2007;
  • Revenue from air cargo was $2.04 million; and
  • Handles 50 percent of Florida’s waterborne cargo; and
  • In 2007, handled 48.2 million tons of inbound and outbound cargo with an estimated value of $7.2 billion.

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport3
  • Processed 29,842 tons of air cargo in 2008 (Annual Report);
  • Brings an estimated economic impact of $748 million (annually) and is directly or indirectly responsible for an estimated 9,580 jobs.

CSXT
  • Transloaded 4,500 truckloads of bulk chemicals from 1,300 railcars at the Tampa TransFlo facility (CSXT 2002 data);
  • Transported over 223,000 automobiles (on 19,813 railcars), 51,000 intermodal containers and trailers, and over 500,000 carloads of phosphate annually (CSXT, as quoted, Tampa Tribune, February 3, 2003);
  • Phosphate accounted for 4.3 percent of CSXT’s nationwide revenue (2000); and
  • Employs approximately 500 persons in the Tampa Bay Region (2000).

Motor Carrier Industry (Five-County Region)
  • 868 motor carrier firms in the Tampa Bay Region employ 6,088 people (2007)4 ;
  • The motor carrier industry is responsible for $219,140,000 in total wages (2007)5;
  • The average wage per employee is $35,995; and
  • Motor carriers pay 36 percent of all highway taxes but represent only 11 percent of the total registered vehicles using the highway system (2008)6.

1 Tampa Port Authority
2Tampa International Airport Annual Report
3St Petersburg-Clearwater international Airport Annual Report
4Florida Almanac 2007, Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
5Ibid
6ATA, Trucking and the Economy 2007-2008 Edition

The following charts illustrate the amount of goods that is transported on our regional freight system.

FIGURE 1
GOODS MOVEMENT IN THE TAMPA BAY REGION

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

Figure 1 above does not include the amount of freight that is transported through the region on the primary transportation corridors such as I-75 and I-4.

FIGURE 2
TOTAL INBOUND AND OUTBOUND DOMESTIC

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

Figure 2 above, illustrates that more goods are transported into the region then out by a margin of over three to one. In general, most northbound trucks on I-75 and I-4 are empty or nearly empty, while southbound trucks enter the region fully loaded.

Figure 3 illustrates that inbound domestic freight enters the region by a variety of transportation modes with the majority, 41,010,000 tons (46 percent) transported by truck. The second highest amount enters via the Port of Tampa (29 percent) with the number one commodity being gasoline and other petroleum products that are distributed via truck throughout central and southern Florida. CSX rail accounts for 13 percent including rail intermodal and general cargo, steel, chemicals and new automobiles. The remainder is transported via pipeline including natural gas, jet fuel and various chemicals such as anhydrous ammonia. The "Other" category include air transportation. Although air transportation accounts for less than one percent it accounts for a much larger amount in value of goods shipped into the region.

FIGURE 3
DOMESTIC INBOUND GOODS BY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

In contrast, Figure 4 shows the amount of domestic outbound freight traffic. Note the significant drop in total tonnage and that the vast majority, 89 percent is shipped via truck with the next highest amount via rail at only 6 percent of the outbound traffic.

FIGURE 4
DOMESTIC OUTBOUND GOODS BY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

The percentages of international inbound (72 percent) and outbound (28 percent) freight are nearly identical to the domestic figures (76 and 24 percent respectively) as shown in Figure 5.

FIGURE 5
TOTAL INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

As illustrated in Figure 6, international imports are primarily transported by truck (84 percent) from other ports of entry such as Ports of Jacksonville, Miami, and Everglades. Rail imports generally come from the west coast ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach or the Ports of Houston, New Orleans, and Jacksonville. The Port of Tampa sees imports form the Asia markets as well as from South America. Air imports are minimal, generally coming from South America and Europe.

FIGURE 6
INTERNATIONAL INBOUND GOODS BY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

Like international imports, exports (Figure 7) are mostly transported by truck (60 percent) to other ports and to Canada and Mexico. However rail and water transportation combine for approximately 34 percent of exports, mostly phosphate rock, fertilizer and scrap steel, which is transported into the Port of Tampa via rail and placed on a ship. Other rail destinations include Canada and the east coast ports for shipment to Europe.

FIGURE 7
INTERNATIONAL OUTBOUND GOODS BY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

Figure 8 shows the breakdown of freight flows from the Tampa Bay MSA to Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Other parts of Florida. Over half of the freight flows from Tampa are distributed throughout the state other than to the three large MSAs. Orlando receives nearly a quarter of the freight from Tampa Bay. Over 95 percent of this freight is transported by truck and nearly 3 percent by rail. The majority of the remaining freight is mostly by pipeline.

FIGURE 8
COMMODITY FLOWS TO OTHER PARTS OF FLORIDA FROM TAMPA BAY

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

Figures 9 and 10 show the tonnage and percentage of freight from Tampa Bay to other parts of the state by truck (Figure 9) and by rail (Figure 10)

FIGURE 9
TRUCK FLOWS FROM TAMPA TO OTHER PARTS OF FLORIDA

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)


FIGURE 10
RAIL FLOWS FORM TAMPA BAY TO OTHER PARTS OF FLORIDA

Source: FHWA FAF2 (2007 Provisional data)

The transportation providers and warehouse/distribution are major employers in the Tampa Bay Region. Freight transportation providers, warehouses and distribution centers directly employed nearly 17,500 in 2007.7

Figure 11 compares the number of reporting establishments (businesses) in the manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and wholesale trade sectors in the five-county region. While Hillsborough County is clearly the leader in transportation/warehousing and wholesale trades, Pinellas County leads in the number of manufacturing establishments.

FIGURE 11

Source: Florida Almanac 2007, Bureau of Economic and Business Research

As stated above, the transportation/warehousing sector accounted for 17,500 jobs with Hillsborough County containing the vast majority at 13,400 or 77 percent of the total transportation labor force. Pinellas County accounted for 2,400 transportation sector jobs while the remaining counties combined for 1,700 jobs. The breakdown by type of transportation/warehouse service was:

  • Trucking – 6,887 jobs
  • Warehousing – 1,897 jobs
  • Air Transportation – 3,099 jobs
  • Water Transportation – 1,619 jobs
  • Rail – 550 jobs
  • Transportation Support – 3,986 jobs

7Florida Almanac 2007, Bureau of Economic and Business research, University of Florida.

Similarly, Hillsborough County accounted for 30,400 out of the 48,800 wholesale trade jobs followed by Pinellas County with 14,800, Pasco with 2,150, Hernando with 850 and Citrus with 600.

Figure 12 is a comparison of employment in the three sectors by county. In 2007 there were nearly 73,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector of which 39,400 were in Pinellas County. Hillsborough County followed with 29,000 and Pasco County with 3,000 jobs. Hernando and Citrus counties combined for 1,450 jobs in these three sectors

Overall employment in manufacturing, transportation/warehouse, and wholesale trades included 139,232 jobs in 2007.

FIGURE 12

Source: Florida Almanac 2007, Bureau of Economic and Business Research

Combined manufacturing, transportation/warehousing, and wholesale trades accounted for $5.5 billion in annual payroll in the Tampa Bay Region, $2.7 billion of which was accounted for in the manufacturing sector followed by 2.1 billion in the wholesale trade and $606.5 million in the transportation/warehousing sectors.8

The table below shows the Average Annual Salaries for each of the three sectors by county.

8Florida Almanac 2007, Bureau of Economic and Business Research



Source: Calculated from information obtained from the Florida Almanac 2007, Bureau of Economic and Business Research

Figure 13 compares the total annual payroll for each of the sectors by county for the year 2007. The total payroll across all the sectors of the industry amounted to over $5.5 billion.

FIGURE 13

Source: Florida Almanac 2007, Bureau of Economic and Business Research

Finally, the following figures illustrate the impact of goods movement on our regional and statewide highway corridors. They show the increase in truck traffic from 2002 (Figure 14) to 2035 (Figure 15). Truck flows are expected to double over this period. In addition to substantial increases in the number of trucks using the I-4/I-275 corridor between Tampa/St Petersburg and Orlando, I-75, the west coast freight corridor will also see significant increases in truck traffic. In addition, US 19, US 301, Veterans Expressway, Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, and portions of SR 54 and SR 60 will have significant increases in truck traffic as alternatives to the congested interstate highways are developed.

FIGURE 14
2002 TRUCK FLOWS

Source: FHWA FAF2


FIGURE 15
2035 PROJECTED TRUCK FLOWS

Source: FHWA FAF2