U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Freight Economy
Date: February 23, 2016
Our Host: Tucson Metro Chamber
| HIGHWAYS |  | I-10 and I-19, State Route 86, State Route 77 and Designated, but not yet constructed: I-11 and Sonoran Corridor. |
| RAILROADS |  | Union Pacific Sunset Corridor, BNSF |
| AIRPORTS |  | Tucson International Airport (TUS), Ryan Field (RYN), Marana Regional Airport (AVQ), Pinal Airpark (MZJ) |
| BORDER PORTS OF ENTRY |  | Port of Nogales and Port of Tucson (inland) |
Source: HDR Engineering, Inc., CPCS
| Commodity | Value (millions $) | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Misc. mfg. prods. | 50,841 | 34% |
| Precision instruments | 18,760 | 12% |
| Electronics | 14,810 | 10% |
| Motorized vehicles | 14,341 | 9% |
| Machinery | 10,618 | 7% |
| All commodities | 151,002 | 100% |
| Commodity | Tons (thousands) | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Nonmetal min. prods. | 10,481 | 23% |
| Gravel | 4,504 | 10% |
| Natural sands | 3,101 | 7% |
| Metallic ores | 2,313 | 5% |
| Natural gas | 2,214 | 5% |
| All commodities | 46,346 | 100% |
| Trade partner | Tonnage | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 9,441 | 54% |
| Mexico | 4,290 | 24% |
| Canada | 1,288 | 7% |
| California | 737 | 4% |
| Texas | 340 | 2% |
| Total outbound | 17,571 | 100% |
| Trade partner | Tonnage | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 8,720 | 63% |
| Mexico | 987 | 7% |
| California | 691 | 5% |
| Colorado | 614 | 4% |
| Connecticut | 393 | 3% |
| Total inbound | 13,761 | 100% |
*2012 from FAF4, 2040 from FAF3
The Tucson Region will see multimodal freight activity grow by 27% between 2012 and 2040.
The majority of Tucson's freight activity is domestic (88% by value and 85% by tonnage).
Both by value and tonnage, the region’s international freight will expand nearly three times over, fueled by strong trade growth with Mexico and Canada.
Tucson has a higher share of freight activity moving by truck (87%) as compared to the nation (70%; tonnage based). Key truck corridors are I-19 and I-10.
Trucks transported freight shipments valued at approximately $17 billion through the port of Nogales in 2014. By loaded container volume, Nogales is also the fourth largest rail gateway in the nation.
The port of Tucson is a key freight facility serving southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It is also serving Midwestern grain markets with outbound container movements to Asia.
Aerospace manufacturing is one of the Tucson region’s largest transportation-reliant industries.
National study of the I-10 freight corridor shows current truck volumes to be around 13,000 trucks per day traveling I-10 through Arizona. The I-10 corridor also includes the UP rail line that extends from the Port of LA/Long Beach through Tucson, eastward to New Orleans. Approximately, 50-60 trains travel through Tucson each day.
Rail currently accounts for 4.7% of Tucson’s freight tonnage, but this share is anticipated to grow to nearly 8% by 2040, a regional rail hub for Union Pacific (UP).
The sectors of trade, transportation, warehousing and manufacturing account for more than 125,000 (30%) jobs in the region.
The transportation and logistics sector grew faster (5.3%) than the statewide economy (4.9%), 1997-2012, and jobs in this sector pay higher than average salaries.
Sources for Freight Facts: FAF, BTS, AZDOT, PAG
