The US Department of Transportation is preparing a new digital freight tool it says will give shippers, carriers and retailers a clearer view of bottlenecks across the supply chain, as the Trump administration steps up efforts to cut logistics costs and speed cargo through key gateways.
Announcing the American Supply Chain Sovereignty Initiative on 12 June, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the plan would centre on a high-visibility dashboard linking ocean carriers, truc...
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king firms, rail operators and retailers, including Walmart, with major nodes such as the Port of Los Angeles. The department said the aim is to reduce delays, move freight more quickly and bring down costs for consumers.
The initiative is being built on Freight Logistics Optimization Works, or FLOW, a public-private data-sharing programme launched in March 2022. According to the department, FLOW collects purchase order and logistics information from importers and other participants, then anonymises and aggregates the material so members can better judge capacity and throughput across the network. The system is intended to help companies anticipate congestion rather than react after delays have already cascaded through the chain.
DOT said the new effort will extend that model with a more visible dashboard and broader coordination across modes. In 2024, the agency began publishing data on inland freight hubs, including rail terminal and warehouse destinations, to help shippers plan capacity and avoid disruption. It has also released information on purchases and cargo movements from specific ports of origin.
By April, FLOW had 86 members, including PetSmart, CMA CGM, The Home Depot and GE Appliances, according to the department. Earlier DOT statements show the programme has gradually expanded since its launch, with participants first beginning to share data securely in 2022.
The new initiative also ties into the National Freight Strategic Plan, which was updated this year and is meant to guide federal policy and investment in supply chains. Duffy is asking Congress to include the necessary legislation in the 2026 National Defence Authorisation Act so the department can create role-based access to selected data points, which DOT says would give it the flexibility to streamline logistics securely.
Source: Noah Wire Services
