FREIGHT ACADEMY
The I-95 Corridor Coalition Freight Academy is a unique immersion program designed to efficiently train public sector agency staff whose planning, operational, and/or management work impact goods movement decisions, investments, and interactions. Agencies in the Corridor proposed this project as a result of a number of trends that have emerged through their work on freight projects. These include: large increases in freight movements; dynamic changes in the goods movement industry; the need to understand freight as an integral part of the transportation system; and an increasing need to integrate freight facilities and operations with community goals. These important trends, combined with the knowledge that many experienced members of transportation agencies are scheduled to retire in the next 5 to 10 years, prompted the Coalition to sponsor the development and implementation of the Freight Academy.
The Academy’s practical orientation to what the private sector needs and how the private sector works to move freight is essential to make sure that public sector decisions and investments are made with a solid understanding of the supply chain. To that end, participants will have unique opportunities to see and learn about the inner workings of the goods movement system, including maritime terminals, the distribution centers of major corporations, air cargo operations, trucking operations, and rail operations. Academy participants will also undertake a Capstone Project on important subjects submitted by Coalition agencies. The Capstone Project findings will be presented by the participants at the I-95 Corridor Coalition Annual Meeting to the senior executives of the agencies.
