Notice2026-03996
Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 2, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentTransportation Statistics Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, BTS announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review and approval and invites public comment. BTS is requesting approval to renew an existing ICR 2138-0049, Freight Logistics Optimization Works. The renewal of this ICR will enable BTS to continue collecting intermodal trade data in support of the FLOW program's aim to improve supply chain efficiencies.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 40 (Monday, March 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 40 (Monday, March 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10198-10199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03996]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2026-0893]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of a Previously
Approved Information Collection: Freight Logistics Optimization Works
(FLOW)
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, BTS
announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR)
described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its
review and approval and invites public comment. BTS is requesting
approval to renew an existing ICR 2138-0049, Freight Logistics
Optimization Works. The renewal of this ICR will enable BTS to continue
collecting intermodal trade data in support of the FLOW program's aim
to improve supply chain efficiencies.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until May 1, 2026.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once
into the docket, submit comments by only one of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and follow the instructions for sending your
comments electronically. Docket Number: [DOT-OST-2026-0893].
<bullet> Mail: Dockets Operations; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, 5th Floor,
Room W58-213, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and
docket number. Note that all comments received will be posted without
change to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, and follow the
online instructions for accessing the docket, or go to the street
address listed above.
Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT
posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information
the commenter provides, to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, as described in
the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed
at <a href="http://www.dot.gov/privacy">www.dot.gov/privacy</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Fischman, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Research and Technology, USDOT, RTS-35, E36-302, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a0c1ccccc9d3cfce8ec6c9d3c3c8cdc1cee0c4cfd48ec7cfd6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32535e5e5b415d5c1c545b41515a5f535c72565d461c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW).
OMB Control Number: 2138-0049.
Type of Review: Renewal of information collection.
Respondents: Businesses in the freight industry.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 140.
Estimated Time per Response: 21 hours, which includes initial data
file development and connection to data system as well as periodic
updates.
Frequency: Annual.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,940.
Abstract: The Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) program
is a government-industry information sharing initiative aimed at
improving key freight information exchange between parts of the goods
movement supply chain, equipping companies involved in freight with the
evidence needed to avoid significant congestion events and support a
more resilient freight network. Data collected and exchanged supports
industry decision making associated with the daily management of cargo
and assets. Companies participating in FLOW voluntarily submit relevant
data; there is no regulatory requirement to submit such data.
An objective of the FLOW program is to provide the data
infrastructure to facilitate the sharing of operational information
between companies with key roles in the national logistics system,
i.e., the complex collection of
[[Page 10199]]
personnel, transportation assets, vessels, trucks, railcars, equipment,
and any and all other freight components that comprise the United
States' supply chain system. By providing a means to share this data
securely, the FLOW program aims to enable a data driven approach to
balance U.S. cargo traffic demand with system capacity.
Industry partners involved with FLOW, referred to as FLOW
participants, include beneficial cargo owners, intermodal equipment
providers, the logistics real estate sector, ports and marine terminal
operators, motor carriers, ocean carriers, non-vessel operating common
carriers, rail carriers, and third-party logistics providers.
Participants contribute data on import and export containers and the
availability of space and assets to move the containers, including
purchase orders, cargo bookings, marine terminal space availability and
gate transactions, truck dispatch capacity, chassis availability, and
warehouse capacity. Participants share data based on their industry
sector according to a standard data specification, available at <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/mission/office-secretary/office-policy/freight/flow/flow-data-dictionary">https://www.transportation.gov/mission/office-secretary/office-policy/freight/flow/flow-data-dictionary</a>. The process of sharing data is automated to
the extent practicable through secure file transfer protocol and
validation tools available via secure web portal.
BTS serves as the data steward for the FLOW program. Data shared
with BTS by FLOW participants is treated confidentially and protected
by BTS under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act of 2018 (CIPSEA), codified as amended at 44 U.S.C. 3561-
3583. BTS collects, processes, and analyzes confidential data from FLOW
participants, ensures the exclusive statistical use of that
information, and preserves the confidentiality of that information. BTS
shares aggregated, deidentified data with FLOW participants via a
secure web portal, following BTS disclosure review processes. These
aggregated measures are intended to serve as leading indicators of
freight congestion and supply chain performance and help to communicate
the degree of oversupply or undersupply of logistics assets.
Access to the secure web portal is limited to FLOW participants and
not shared publicly, although participants may provide specific
authorization to publish FLOW data products through a review process.
Current in-progress efforts to apply and include FLOW data in public
data products include BTS port performance freight statistics and
freight scenario analysis research.
Data Confidentiality Provisions: Data collected under the FLOW
initiative may contain confidential business information. The
confidentiality of these data will be protected under CIPSEA. In
accordance with CIPSEA, FLOW data will be used exclusively for
statistical purposes and will not be disclosed in identifiable form
except with the informed consent of the respondent.
Annual Burden Discussion: It is estimated that a FLOW participant
will spend a maximum of six hours establishing the initial system
connection and developing and testing the data file. Once established,
participants may spend up to two hours annually on routine maintenance
activities, including system connection maintenance or any necessary
amendments to data files. Most participants transmit files on a
scheduled, automated basis through secure file transfer protocol; no
additional burden is estimated for these scheduled jobs. Participants
may also submit files via upload to secure web portal on a weekly
basis; up to 15 minutes per week or approximately 13 hours annually are
estimated for these uploads. This additional manual burden is included
in the total estimate, for a total annual burden estimate of 21 hours
per participant or 2,940 hours total for up to 140 FLOW participants.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) whether the proposed
collection is necessary for the performance of BTS's functions; (2) the
accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for BTS to enhance the
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4)
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of
the collected information. Comments received after the comment closing
date will be included in the docket and will be considered to the
extent practicable.
Allison Fischman,
Director, Office of Safety Data and Analysis, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2026-03996 Filed 2-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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