Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock
1 / 20#20. New Jersey
- Value of freight: $1.0 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 0.7%
Where are all these trucks headed? The top destinations for North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota are headed.
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2 / 20#19. Kentucky
- Value of freight: $1.1 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 0.7%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
3 / 20#18. Oregon
- Value of freight: $1.1 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 0.7%
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4 / 20#17. California
- Value of freight: $1.2 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 0.8%
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
5 / 20#16. Iowa
- Value of freight: $1.3 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 0.8%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
6 / 20#15. Oklahoma
- Value of freight: $1.4 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 0.9%
Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock
7 / 20#14. Wisconsin
- Value of freight: $1.4 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 0.9%
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8 / 20#13. Wyoming
- Value of freight: $1.6 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 1.0%
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9 / 20#12. Pennsylvania
- Value of freight: $1.8 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 1.2%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
10 / 20#11. Indiana
- Value of freight: $1.9 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 1.2%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
11 / 20#10. Utah
- Value of freight: $1.9 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 1.2%
Canva
12 / 20#9. Ohio
- Value of freight: $2.1 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 1.3%
Mihai_Andritoiu // Shutterstock
13 / 20#8. Montana
- Value of freight: $2.5 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 1.6%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
14 / 20#7. Illinois
- Value of freight: $3.7 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 2.4%
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15 / 20#6. Washington
- Value of freight: $8.8 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 5.6%
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16 / 20#5. South Dakota
- Value of freight: $9.7 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 6.2%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
17 / 20#4. Louisiana
- Value of freight: $14.1 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 9.0%
Canva
18 / 20#3. Minnesota
- Value of freight: $15.9 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 10.2%
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
19 / 20#2. Texas
- Value of freight: $20.2 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 12.9%
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
20 / 20#1. North Dakota
- Value of freight: $53.8 billion
- Share of domestic freight originating in North Dakota: 34.4%
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.
