Where are all these trucks headed? The top freight destinations from each state.
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 destinations of freight from each state. The analysis looks just at domestic freight and shows the value of freight headed for in-state destinations separately from the top out-of-state destination. Origin states are listed in alphabetical order.
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 common and 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.
When shipping out-of-state, Texas and California were the most prevalent 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 your state are headed.
