Freight

Freight system

Washington's economy depends on the ability to move freight through its multimodal transportation system via roadways, railways, waterways and airways.

Truck freight: Washington state relies on highways and roadways for long-distance freight transport as well as for urban goods delivery. Trucks haul approximately $42 million worth of freight on Washington's roadways every hour, using over 7,000 miles of highways, and tens of thousands of miles of local roads to move freight.

Rail freight: Washington's economic vitality requires a strong rail system capable of providing businesses, ports and farms competitive access to North American and international markets. There are over 3,000 miles of railroad lines in the state to move freight, diverting cargo off highways and resulting in fewer emissions than if it was shipped only by truck.

Marine freight: The marine freight waterways in Washington consist of the Pacific Ocean, the Salish Sea and the Columbia-Snake River System. These waterways, combined with commercial ports, terminals, locks, and vessels, comprise the marine system. Marine freight supports domestic and international trade by providing safe, efficient, and cost-effective transportation options for shippers.

Air freight: Airplanes are often the mode of choice for lightweight, high-value, time sensitive cargoes that must be shipped longer distances.

Multi-year trends

Truck freight:

• Annual truck miles traveled on state highways increased 0.9% from 3.48 million miles in 2019 to 3.51 million in 2023.
• Most freight trucks entered Washington from Canada on the I-5 corridor at Blaine, which was down 3.7% from 369,777 in 2019 to 356,021 in 2023.
• The second-largest number of freight truck border crossings were on State Route 9 at Sumas, which was down 7.7% from 154,508 in 2019 to 142,594 in 2023.
• Over 80% of freight trucks entering Washington from Canada did so at the Blaine or Sumas border crossings.
• The interstate truck travel time reliability index decreased 3.2%, from 1.54 in 2019 to 1.49 in 2023.

Rail freight:

• Freight rail commodities decreased 13.5% from 135.2 million tons in 2018 to 117.0 million tons in 2022.
• The top three most shipped freight rail commodities in Washington in 2022 included farm products (crops such as soybeans, corn, wheat and dried peas), coal, and hazardous materials.

Marine freight:

• Marine freight to foreign destinations decreased 15.4% from 90.6 million tons in 2018 to 76.7 million tons in 2022.
• Domestic marine freight tonnage transported increased 2.4% from 25.4 million tons in 2018 to 26.0 million tons in 2022.
• Total waterborne tonnage decreased by 13.7% from 124.2 million tons in 2018 to 107.2 million tons in 2022.

Air freight:

• Between 2019 and 2023, total air cargo tonnage increased by 0.6%, from 1.98 million tons to 1.99 million tons of cargo.
• Most air cargoes were shipped out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which accounts for 68.7% of the total air cargo shipped in Washington.
• Spokane International Airport had the second-largest air cargo traffic in Washington, with 15.6% of the total air cargo tonnage.