3/6/2006: Graphic of freight in and out of California

Undertoad · 03-06-2006, 01:03 PM

axlrosen finds this really cool item at the US Department of Transportation: a map of international and domestic freight, as it flows in and out of California destinations by truck.

It's IotD'd because it's an awesome graphic display of quantitative information, a way to communicate a great deal using an imaginative graphic. And there are tons of other maps at the site, all very cool and very interesting. (For instance, most domestic freight shipped by sea in or out of Philadelphia goes to... Pittsburgh?!? What? How?)

barefoot serpent · 03-06-2006, 01:32 PM

Reminds me of the graphic representation of Napoleon's march to Moscow
http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/minard
made famous in Edward Tufte's The Display of Quantitative information.

edit: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

Pancake Man · 03-06-2006, 02:16 PM

Lesson learned here? Don't make fun of truckers in California.

WabUfvot5 · 03-06-2006, 04:16 PM

We control the cocaine flow and the hashish flow.

Cyclefrance · 03-06-2006, 04:26 PM

It's OK, but how do you work out what is coming in and what is going out?

Elspode · 03-06-2006, 04:28 PM

Looking at this graphic only reinforces the notion that the Midwest, especially Kansas City, is just the part you have to drive through to get somewhere else. Jeez, even Des Moines gets more traffic through it on I-80 than we do on I-70.

barefoot serpent · 03-06-2006, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspode

more traffic through it on I-80 than we do on I-70.

maybe it's the Topeka-KC toll?

Undertoad · 03-06-2006, 05:02 PM

Yabbut Spode, this is just the California traffic.

Here's the Florida map:

Undertoad · 03-06-2006, 05:07 PM

Maine domestic is kinda cool because, according to the data, 3/4ths of it is logs. So the bulk of ME output is heavy and doesn't go very far, just far enough to be milled. But other ME products, such as lobsters, might trickle across the country:

Katkeeper · 03-06-2006, 05:20 PM

Lobsters might be flown, not trucked. Poland Spring Water would be one item. And how about L.L. Bean??

barefoot serpent · 03-06-2006, 06:15 PM

looks like they're counting the St. Lawrence Seaway traffic -- containers, barges, ferrys?

Elspode · 03-06-2006, 07:04 PM

UT is right...and on further consideration, let Des Moines have all them flakey Left Coasters!

xoxoxoBruce · 03-06-2006, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barefoot serpent

looks like they're counting the St. Lawrence Seaway traffic -- containers, barges, ferrys?

I think that's the Trans-Canada Highway along the St Lawrence. Fastest route from northern Maine to Michigan or Minnesota.

glatt · 03-06-2006, 09:06 PM

Maine also has potatoes and blueberries.

xant · 03-06-2006, 11:07 PM

So, I looked at a bunch of those maps picked arbitrarily, and there's thick red lines coming out of every state. None appear to be up to California's shipping level.

The one that gave my home state the best run for its money? That would be Texas. It is then that one realizes why there's so much shipping done for these two states, and for Florida. It's not because the midwest and southwest US are "flyover states", but because of maritime shipping. You've probably heard the phrase "Made in China"? Well, those trinkets have to stop in California first. Should be no surprise that results in a lot of truck shipping.

03-06-2006, 01:03 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	3/6/2006: Graphic of freight in and out of California axlrosen finds this really cool item at the US Department of Transportation: a map of international and domestic freight, as it flows in and out of California destinations by truck. It's IotD'd because it's an awesome graphic display of quantitative information, a way to communicate a great deal using an imaginative graphic. And there are tons of other maps at the site, all very cool and very interesting. (For instance, most domestic freight shipped by sea in or out of Philadelphia goes to... Pittsburgh?!? What? How?)

03-06-2006, 01:32 PM	#2
barefoot serpent go ahead, abbrev. it Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 2,623	Reminds me of the graphic representation of Napoleon's march to Moscow http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/minard made famous in Edward Tufte's The Display of Quantitative information. edit: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information Last edited by barefoot serpent; 03-06-2006 at 02:57 PM.

03-06-2006, 02:16 PM	#3
Pancake Man Hand-of-Kindness Extender Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 131	Lesson learned here? Don't make fun of truckers in California. __________________ Abandon all hope, o ye who read my posts

03-06-2006, 04:26 PM	#5
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	It's OK, but how do you work out what is coming in and what is going out? __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-06-2006, 04:28 PM	#6
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Looking at this graphic only reinforces the notion that the Midwest, especially Kansas City, is just the part you have to drive through to get somewhere else. Jeez, even Des Moines gets more traffic through it on I-80 than we do on I-70. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

03-06-2006, 04:16 PM	#4
WabUfvot5 Operations Operative Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 634	We control the cocaine flow and the hashish flow.

03-06-2006, 05:02 PM	#8
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Yabbut Spode, this is just the California traffic. Here's the Florida map:

03-06-2006, 05:07 PM	#9
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Maine domestic is kinda cool because, according to the data, 3/4ths of it is logs. So the bulk of ME output is heavy and doesn't go very far, just far enough to be milled. But other ME products, such as lobsters, might trickle across the country:

03-06-2006, 05:20 PM	#10
Katkeeper Hoodoo Guru Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Mechanicsburg PA Posts: 296	Lobsters might be flown, not trucked. Poland Spring Water would be one item. And how about L.L. Bean??

03-06-2006, 06:15 PM	#11
barefoot serpent go ahead, abbrev. it Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 2,623	looks like they're counting the St. Lawrence Seaway traffic -- containers, barges, ferrys?

03-06-2006, 07:04 PM	#12
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	UT is right...and on further consideration, let Des Moines have all them flakey Left Coasters! __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

03-06-2006, 09:06 PM	#14
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Maine also has potatoes and blueberries.

03-06-2006, 11:07 PM	#15
xant Belt Conveyor Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 65	So, I looked at a bunch of those maps picked arbitrarily, and there's thick red lines coming out of every state. None appear to be up to California's shipping level. The one that gave my home state the best run for its money? That would be Texas. It is then that one realizes why there's so much shipping done for these two states, and for Florida. It's not because the midwest and southwest US are "flyover states", but because of maritime shipping. You've probably heard the phrase "Made in China"? Well, those trinkets have to stop in California first. Should be no surprise that results in a lot of truck shipping.

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