THE United States transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, published the 2026 National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP) on May 19. The plan is a five-year strategy to modernise the 11.27 million km national freight network.
This plan is designed to enhance the safety, security, and efficiency of the privately-owned network that transports more than 54 million tonnes of freight valued in excess of $US 68bn per day.
The plan sets six primary goals for the next five years:
- reduce or eliminate serious injuries and fatalities
- improve system reliability and streamline government regulation
- ensure the integrity of supply chains in support of national defence and economic prosperity
- reduce risks to the freight system
- modernise freight infrastructure and foster game-changing technologies, and
- build a skilled workforce and improve their quality of life.
“From the earliest days of our country, our growth relied on our ability to efficiently move equipment and supplies,” Duffy says. “It’s not just about moving goods - it’s about securing our energy supply chains, protecting our industries from cargo theft, and stocking shelves.”
“While national policy sets our destination, data and real-world execution are what get us there,” adds Michael Rutherford, assistant secretary for multimodal freight infrastructure and policy.
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) released its first NFSP in 2020, which identified the challenges of e-commerce and the shift towards the US becoming a net energy exporter.
“The 2026 plan addresses a transformed landscape where domestic energy production is at an all-time high, and re-shoring has doubled the construction of manufacturing facilities since 2021,” USDOT explains.
