On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the launch of a new office that will oversee the maintenance and improvement of the U.S. freight network and supply chains.
The Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy (Multimodal Freight Office) will work in partnership with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to continue the advancement of the DOT’s Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) program to help business get goods to shelves faster and cut costs for consumers, officials said.
“Since President Biden took office we have focused on supply chain improvements, not just to recover from pandemic-driven disruptions but also to make lasting improvements for a stronger and more resilient future,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said. “Our new Multimodal Freight Office will lead coordination of our work to strengthen supply chains – including the FLOW data initiative helping companies and ports make better-informed decisions — so that they can move goods more efficiently and keep costs down for Americans.”
The Multimodal Freight Office will be led by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy Allison Dane Camden, and will oversee the development of the National Multimodal Freight Network, review State Freight Plans and provide technical assistance to state and local governments, officials said.
FLOW now includes the five largest U.S. container ports, seven of the largest ocean carriers, and four of the largest retailers by imports. Together they are working to create a shared picture of the supply chain networks and to facility a more reliable supply chain. Data from the public-private partnership is being used to inform decision-making and planning across the supply chain to improve the movement of goods across the country.