The Trump Administration is asking Congress to authorize the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to create an online platform with role-based access for different supply chain players, with a goal to securely streamline national logistics.
The DOT’s “American Supply Chain Sovereignty Initiative” would launch a high-visibility dashboard connecting major hubs like the Port of Los Angeles directly to ocean carriers, trucking companies, railroads, and retailers like Walmart, the department said. That system is intended to create a more transparent supply chain, thus accelerating cargo processing, lowering logistics costs, and empowering America’s transportation workforce.
According to the DOT, the initiative would build on the success of the federal freight digitization scheme known as the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) program. FLOW is a private-public partnership that is intended to create a shared picture of the U.S. supply chain for its members, which include container ports, ocean carriers, and retail importers. It would also follow up on a recent DOT strategy to modernize the nation’s nearly seven-million-mile freight network.
In order to launch the new initiative, DOT has request Congress to include the necessary legislation in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said in a release.
