In the complex world of freight transportation, the creation of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy Freight, known as the Freight Office, marks a significant step toward streamlining and improving national freight policy. I had the privilege of interviewing Andrew Petrisin, the supply chain advisor at USDOT, who is instrumental in establishing this new organization. Here are the essential takeaways from our conversation:

Jason: What should people understand about the Freight Office?

Andrew: The Freight Office is an evolution of the Supply Chain Disruption Task Force. It’s a dedicated entity within USDOT, focusing on multimodal national freight policy and challenges. This development is a response to industry demands for federal leadership in enhancing national competitiveness in transportation, supply chain, and logistics.

Jason: What are the responsibilities of the U.S. Freight Office?

Andrew: Established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of November 2021, the Freight Office is integral to implementing the National Multimodal Freight Policy. This involves overseeing state freight planning, developing the National Multimodal Freight Network, facilitating public-private data exchange, and conducting multimodal freight research.

Jason: Can you outline the top priorities of the Freight Office?

Andrew: The Office focuses on three main areas. Firstly, infrastructure development, particularly prioritizing freight infrastructure funding and identifying key commercial corridors. Secondly, data exchange, to understand industry shifts and their impact on freight activity. Thirdly, market analysis, to inform federal policies.

Jason: What are the goals of the Freight Office?

Andrew: The Office aims to enhance the freight system’s resilience and the nation’s economic vitality. This involves two approaches: increasing system capacity through infrastructure development and reducing operational variance via data exchange. Our success hinges on a strategic national multimodal freight investment and reduced systemwide variance.

Jason: How will the Freight Office impact shippers and the broader freight industry?

Andrew: One significant benefit is providing a unified point of contact for freight issues, addressing the problem of siloed operations within various administrations. The Freight Office is geared towards resolving these industry challenges.

Jason: Could you share more about your role at USDOT?

Andrew: As the Supply Chain Advisor, I initially joined the White House Supply Chain Disruption Task Force and am now focused on establishing the Freight Office under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

This insightful interview with Andrew Petrisin sheds light on how the U.S. Freight Office is set to revolutionize the freight transportation landscape, offering a more integrated and efficient approach to national freight policy.