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1 / 20#20. Nebraska
- Value of freight: $209 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.4%
Where are all these trucks headed? The top destinations for Montana freight.
In many parts of the country, you can't drive on an interstate without spotting a semitruck. But have you ever wondered where they are hauling all that stuff?
Truck Parking Club used Bureau of Transportation Statistics data to identify the top 20 destinations of freight from Montana as part of a broader national analysis. The analysis only includes domestic freight.
Most of the time, semis are headed somewhere within the same state. In all but one, the highest share of freight was delivered to other destinations within its own borders. The only exception was Rhode Island, which is the smallest U.S. state by area, leaving few possible in-state destinations for freight.
The average haul length has been decreasing for years as e-commerce—Amazon in particular—has normalized speedy and frequent deliveries. These days, regional warehouses and distribution centers are more widespread so trucks don't have to move goods as far to get them to local stores or individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend, causing severe supply-chain disruptions, panic buying, and driving up online purchasing.
Nationally, Texas and California are the most common domestic freight destinations. These two states are major economic centers of the U.S. as the most populous in the nation with the largest state gross domestic product. Texas and California each offer huge consumer markets, major production centers, and abundant trade with international markets, making them obvious destinations for freight from across the country.
Trucks are the most prevalent shipping method in the U.S. and most commonly transport goods including construction materials, gas and oil, food and agricultural products, and waste. Read on to see where semitrucks in Montana are headed.
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2 / 20#19. Pennsylvania
- Value of freight: $212 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.4%
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3 / 20#18. South Dakota
- Value of freight: $263 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.5%
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4 / 20#17. Wisconsin
- Value of freight: $299 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.5%
Canva
5 / 20#16. Colorado
- Value of freight: $313 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.5%
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6 / 20#15. Oklahoma
- Value of freight: $347 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.6%
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7 / 20#14. Kansas
- Value of freight: $354 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.6%
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8 / 20#13. Indiana
- Value of freight: $419 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.7%
Canva
9 / 20#12. Ohio
- Value of freight: $423 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.7%
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10 / 20#11. Utah
- Value of freight: $465 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.8%
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11 / 20#10. Texas
- Value of freight: $470 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 0.8%
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12 / 20#9. Illinois
- Value of freight: $642 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 1.1%
Canva
13 / 20#8. Minnesota
- Value of freight: $855 million
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 1.5%
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14 / 20#7. California
- Value of freight: $1.0 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 1.8%
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15 / 20#6. Wyoming
- Value of freight: $1.5 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 2.5%
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16 / 20#5. Washington
- Value of freight: $1.6 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 2.8%
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17 / 20#4. Oregon
- Value of freight: $2.0 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 3.4%
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18 / 20#3. North Dakota
- Value of freight: $2.5 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 4.3%
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19 / 20#2. Idaho
- Value of freight: $4.3 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 7.4%
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20 / 20#1. Montana
- Value of freight: $38.2 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in Montana: 65.4%
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.
