The Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) pooled fund began in 2006 to support collaboration, innovation, and development in freight planning, freight policy, and operations across the 10-state Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin). The Coalition’s operations are founded and guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Board of Directors of MAASTO and the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison.

The MAFC’s major emphasis areas support advances in multimodal freight planning practices, freight operations and technology, and freight policy, all in a collaborative framework. Importantly, the emphasis areas are determined by the participating state professionals. The work is completed in service to both the states and the region, as well as towards advancing national freight planning priorities throughout the MAASTO region. The projects and activities of the MAFC support critical linkages between freight movement and services, as well as economic and community development. The freight coordination of the MAASTO region can provide guidance and identify best practices at a national level relating to multistate coordination of freight activities and in support of goals within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

This solicitation is for the fifth iteration of the MAFC pooled fund. Previous iterations were TPF-5 (156), TPF-5 (293), TPF-5 (396), and TPF-5 (509).

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) seeks to continue leadership of a pooled fund that will:

• Provide guidance and solutions for state-defined freight-related research.
• Support the IIJA’s goals through multistate collaboration in freight policy, facility development, and operations harmonization.
• Improve cross-state freight-related coordination and facility development.
• Increase awareness of the importance of freight transportation to support state, regional, and national economies.
• Serve as a freight-oriented professional resource to the states.
• Provide freight-oriented professional development resources and peer to peer networking.
• Maintain and expand the region’s reputation as freight friendly.

The results of the MAFC activities continue to support and develop the economic well-being of the industries, businesses, farms, and people of the 10-state region by keeping their products flowing to markets safely, reliably, and efficiently. Participation in this pooled fund extends the opportunity for agencies to support research on freight and economic development issues specific to the needs of transportation agencies, advance regional freight-related coordination, assist in national freight priorities, and ultimately allow for the quick implementation of research and development efforts.

All the projects completed by the MAFC support and provide innovation and best practices in state freight planning, policy, and operations. The information is transferable to any state across the nation.

Products of previous iterations of the MAFC pooled fund have included high-quality research reports, including:

• MAFC 33: Construction Impacts on Multistate Freight and OSOW Corridors.
• MAFC 32: All-Hazards Assessments of Major Freight Corridors in the MAASTO Region
• MAFC 31: Marine Freight Development in the MAASTO Region
• MAFC 30: Preparing for Future Truck Operations: Fleet Electrification and Alternative Fuels
• MAFC 29: Maximizing State Marine Freight Planning
• MAFC 28: COVID-19 Disruptions: Freight System and Agency Operational Changes Affecting Freight Planning
• MAFC 27: Characteristics and Importance of Freight Aviation in the MAASTO Region

MAFC efforts and leadership in freight development have national significance. As the crossroads of America for rail and highway facilities, home to the Mississippi and Ohio River watersheds, and the nation’s connection to the Great Lakes, the efficiency of freight movement through this region impacts freight movement across the nation. This MAFC collaborative approach fosters a regional understanding of freight movement above and beyond a state-by-state approach. This facilitates greater coordination across the states in the region and greater efficiency in all modes of freight movement.

MAFC has demonstrated its national significance through the 2020 MAFC Emergency Divisible Load Management project. This first-in-the-nation effort to harmonize increased truck weights for divisible loads during a declared national disaster offered a best practice for national implementation.

In addition to individual reports, the MAFC supported development of the MAASTO Truck Parking Information Management System, which it now maintains. With the critical importance of truck parking, the project has been replicated across the nation and resulted in NCHRP 08-140, Truck Parking Information Management Systems (TPIMS) Guide.

The MAFC also organizes an annual freight conference attended by representatives of the member states. Recent conferences have run concurrent with the MAASTO Annual Meeting and feature educational seminars and training sessions conducted for state transportation officials. Other MAFC roles have included support to MAASTO state Freight Advisory Committees and direct support to MAASTO Planning, Connected and Automated Vehicle, and Motor Carrier Committees.

Lastly, the MAFC sets a national precedent in multistate, regional collaboration. The collaboration, mutual support, and professional development offered through this Transportation Pooled Fund has history dating back to a 2006 Upper Midwest Freight Study and sets the standard for multistate collaboration in freight planning, policy, and operations. Notably, the potential for regional coalitions to advance freight programs and policies is now recognized in the IIJA. MAFC’s fifth iteration will allow for continued advances in innovation in freight development, and collaboration in freight planning, policy, projects, and operations. The regional approach to freight planning, policy, and operations fostered by MAFC reflects the reality that freight has no borders and harmonization of policy, regulations, and operational contexts provides for greater efficiency in multistate and national freight movement.

Through the continuation of MAFC as a foundation for freight information exchange, partner agencies will be able to take advantage of a wide range of expertise in truck, rail, waterway, air, and multimodal freight planning, research, management, and operations to assess and answer their regional freight research needs.

The MAFC seeks to continue its active engagement and support of freight-related activities of the MAASTO states. MAFC efforts will continue to include research projects and reports, the MAFC annual freight conference, maintaining the MAFC web applications, and outreach efforts through personal and group communications. Working with researchers, state technical professionals will identify freight research and collaborative needs, while the MAASTO Planning Committee will provide oversight and act as the group’s champion. Final approval of specific research project areas will continue to be under the authority of the MAASTO Board of Directors.

For the fifth iteration of the pooled fund, member states have already approved two studies. These include:

• Best Practices and Guidance for Freight Related Wildlife Crossing Management
• Maritime Freight Movement through the Mississippi River System (MRS) and Great Lakes Navigational System (GLNS) Major Ports

Additional studies will be developed during the early months of the pooled fund.

With regard to TPIMS, MAFC will have a more limited involvement for the fifth iteration than it did during the fourth iteration. In June 2025, MAFC member states voted on whether the group would continue to maintain the data library focused on housing data collection from TPIMS sites across the region. Ultimately, five states voted to continue warehousing the TPIMS data: Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Wisconsin; following the conclusion of the fourth iteration of the MAFC, the remaining states will no longer have new data warehoused by UW-Madison.

The MAFC will continue to advocate and support a collaborative approach to freight planning, policy, and operations. This focus includes an awareness and utilization of the linkages between freight transportation investments and local, regional, and national economic development. These efforts include:

• Keeping abreast of industry and commodity trends, and incorporating this information into MAFC communications and studies;
• Increasing recognition of MAFC as a clearinghouse for freight information and research;
• Maintaining the MAFC website as an up-to-date resource, a source of innovative freight development ideas, and as an information-sharing hub for regional and national use; and
• Actively contributing to the development of freight policy and national freight research direction through the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Transportation Research Board.

Partners are asked to commit a minimum of $50,400 per year for research, program maintenance, and the annual meeting. Additionally, the five states that voted to continue warehousing TPIMS data (Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Wisconsin) will contribute an additional $8,400 per state per year to support the TPIMS data library. The TPIMS amount has been adjusted to account for only participating states.

This pooled fund is intended to last 36 months. Future obligations will occur as needed to fund further activities set forth by the MAASTO Board of Directors. A waiver of the non-federal match requirement for SPR funding (Part A) will be requested and posted when approved.

Active Study URL: http://midamericafreight.org/