Impacts of Warehouses and Ports on Truck Traffic

Fareeha Shah
Jun 17, 2024

Warehouses and ports contribute significantly to truck traffic, serving as critical hubs in the logistics and transportation ecosystem. These economic powerhouses often disproportionately influence traffic patterns in their surroundings. Without good, clean, and expanded telematics data, it is not easy to document the impacts that these facilities have on a local and regional scale. Enter LOCUS Truck.

We selected two study areas in Arizona: one that comprises of warehouses (including Amazon, Target, AutoZone, and Goodwill), and the other that encompasses the port of Tucson – each of which generate substantial truck movements. By analyzing the patterns at both sites and comparing them against overall truck trends in Arizona, we can better understand the impacts and optimize logistics operations.

GettyImages-1432671565


Data Insights

About 300,000 daily truck trips occur in Arizona. Of these, around 8,000 originate at the two study areas containing the warehouses and the port explored in this piece, which is nearly 3% of daily statewide trips. Key patterns are observed as follows:

  • Heavy Truck Movements

    Heavy trucks, which have greater environmental and safety implications, are more prevalent in trips around the selected warehouses. Statewide, 41% of truck trips from 3 pm to 7 pm involve heavy trucks. This percentage jumps to 70% for warehouse trips during the same period.

  • Long-Distance Trips from Selected Warehouses

    Our expanded data shows that a significant share of truck trips originating from the selected warehouses are long-distance. Specifically, 34% of warehouse-originated trips exceed 300 miles, compared to only 9% of statewide truck trips. Conversely, short-distance trips (under 10 miles) are relatively rare for the selected warehouses, constituting just 4% of trips, compared to 35% for statewide trips.

    Trips that originate at the port of Tucson show a similar pattern for long-distance travel, with 20% exceeding 300 miles. However, the port creates many localized movements with 26% of trips at the port being under 10 miles.

  • External Destinations from Key Warehouses and Ports

    Only 6% of statewide truck trips have external destinations, i.e. outside Arizona. However, nearly 40% of trips to the warehouses and 23% of port trips extend beyond state borders. This highlights the significant role these economic powerhouses play in interstate commerce.

  • Nighttime Truck Movements

    Nighttime truck trips (7 pm to 6 am) from warehouses are more common compared to statewide trips. While only 19% of statewide trips occur during these hours, 31% of warehouse trips take place at night. This pattern underscores the continuous operational nature of distribution centers, ensuring goods are moved efficiently during off-peak hours and what this may mean to noise and safety considerations in the vicinity of the warehouses.

LOCUS Truck - Origin-Destination

Origin-Destination Map of Arizona: Truck Trips from Key Warehouses in LOCUS Truck

The Strategic Significance of Warehouses and Ports

These facilities serve as economic powerhouses, drawing in large volumes of trucks due to their strategic importance in the supply chain. Trucks traveling to and from these locations have greater impact on regional vehicle-miles traveled, nighttime travel, and, on a related front, emissions and safety considerations. It is thus important to consider these factors as one makes investment and mitigation strategies.

LOCUS Truck: Your One-Stop Solution

LOCUS Truck - State of Arizona

The State of Arizona in LOCUS Truck

Conducting this comprehensive analysis was remarkably efficient, taking just half an hour with LOCUS Truck. This tool's ability to rapidly generate insights demonstrates its value for optimizing truck movements and addressing economic growth challenges. Accurate data is essential for making informed decisions, and our tool delivers this swiftly, removing guesswork from the process.

Whether you need to study truck movements in your area, compare traffic patterns across different regions, or understand the prevalence of trips across different industries, LOCUS Truck has the answers you need. If you want to explore the dynamics of truck traffic and leverage data for strategic planning, contact us to learn more.

Curious to learn about how LOCUS can be used for your planning needs? 

Request a demo

Similar posts

Announcing the Launch of LOCUS Truck

Learn how LOCUS Truck will provide innovative insights into freight flows through advanced analytics and data integration.

Fareeha Shah May 28, 2024

Stay in the loop!

Be the first to know whenever there's a new post on our blog, where we share insights into all things big data and travel behavior.

Subscribe