rail

USDOT Releases Five-Year Freight Modernization Strategy

The Department of Transportation unveiled its 2026 National Freight Strategic Plan on May 18, establishing priorities for managing the nation's seven-million-mile freight network. The strategy targets the daily movement of more than 54 million tons of goods valued at $68 billion across America. Six core objectives guide the five-year roadmap: reducing freight-related injuries and fatalities, improving system reliability while cutting regulatory barriers, protecting supply chain integrity, strengthening resilience against disruptions, modernizing infrastructure, and developing a skilled workforce. Assistant Secretary Michael Rutherford emphasized that execution will determine success in achieving a safe, secure, efficient and resilient multimodal system. The plan addresses a transformed freight landscape with record domestic energy production and doubled manufacturing facility construction since 2021 as reshoring accelerates.