Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Travel Profile

Transcription

1 TRANSPORTATION Final Report The Preparation of a Northern Ontario Passenger and Commercial Vehicle Origin-Destination Survey Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Travel Profile Submitted to Ministry of Transportation, Ontario by IBI Group October 30, 2013

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3 Table of Contents Executive Summary... ES.1 1. Introduction Study Background Report Purpose and Organization Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey Program Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey Background Overview of Commercial Vehicle Travel Truck Traffic Levels Vehicle Styles Truck Travel Origin-Destination Flows Origin-Destination Flows by Number of Trucks 13 Origin-Destination Flows by Vehicle-Kilometres Travelled 16 Origin-Destination Flows by Commodity Value and Weight Travel Origin-Destination Flows by Commodity Type Commodity Origins and Destinations by Number of Trucks 21 Commodity Origins and Destinations by Commodity Value 22 Origin-Destination Flows by Commodity Type Data Collection Site Summaries International Trade Summary and Conclusions Summary Statistics Key Findings Appendix A: Origin-Destination Matrices Appendix B: Station Summaries by Data Collection Site OCTOBER 30, 2013 i

4 Table of Contents (continued) List of Exhibits Exhibit 1.1: Map of Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey Data Collection Site (DCS) Locations... 3 Exhibit 2.1: Summary of Weekly Truck Travel Statistics in Northern Ontario... 4 Exhibit 2.2: Weekly Truck Traffic Volumes and Growth Rates by Highway... 6 Exhibit 2.3: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows on Northern Ontario Roadway Network... 7 Exhibit 2.4: Northern Ontario Truck CVS Truck Configuration Distribution by Origin- Destination Flow Type Exhibit 2.5: Northern Ontario CVS Truck/Trailer Body Style Distribution Exhibit 2.6: Trip Summary Statistics by Trip Origin-Destination Type Exhibit 2.7: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows on Northern Ontario Roadway Network by Trip Type: Internal, Through Trips, and to/from Northern Ontario Exhibit 2.8: Weekly Northern Ontario Trucks Trips by Trip Origin and Destination Exhibit 2.9: Weekly Northern Ontario Truck Vehicle-Kilometres Travelled by Trip Origin and Destination Exhibit 2.10: Total Weekly Commodity Value Transported by Truck in Northern Ontario by Trip Origin and Destination Exhibit 2.11: Total Weekly Commodity Weight Transported by Truck in Northern Ontario by Trip Origin and Destination Exhibit 2.12: Northern Ontario Truck Trip Origins by Commodity Type Exhibit 2.13: Northern Ontario Truck Trip Destinations by Commodity Type Exhibit 2.14: Northern Ontario Truck Commodity Value at Trip Origin by Commodity Type Exhibit 2.15: Northern Ontario Truck Commodity Value at Trip Destination by Commodity Type Exhibit 2.16: Northern Ontario Truck Flows by Commodity Type and Trip Origin- Destination Type Exhibit 2.17: Table of Northern Ontario Truck Flows by Commodity Type and Trip Origin-Destination Type Exhibit 2.18: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows: Loaded Trucks vs. Empty Trucks Exhibit 2.19: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows by Commodity Type Exhibit 2.20: Trip Length Distribution by Commodity Type (Total Distance Travelled) Exhibit 2.21: : Weekly Commercial Vehicle Travel Summary Statistics by DCS Exhibit 3.1: Weekly International Truck Travel Statistics by Northern Ontario Border Crossing Exhibit 3.2: Weekly International Truck Volumes Using Northern Ontario International Border Crossings Exhibit 3.3: Weekly Trucks Trips by Commodity Carried at Northern Ontario International Border Crossing OCTOBER 30, 2013 ii

5 Executive Summary ES.1 Background The Ministry of Transportation, Ontario (MTO) has retained IBI Group to conduct origin-destination surveys of passenger and commercial vehicles at a number of sites in Northern Ontario, including international border crossings and locations along provincial highways. This report presents a Northern Ontario commercial vehicle travel profile based on the results of the Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey (CVS) conducted in fall The Northern Ontario CVS was conducted at 37 directional Data Collection Sites (DCS), including 8 DCSs at international border crossing sites (4 crossings, 2 directions each) and 28 DCSs (15 unique locations) on provincial highways, between September 12 and November 4, The 2011 Northern Ontario CVS data includes 5,087 records that have been standardized, validated and expanded. The effective sample of unique trucks passing the survey stations is estimated to be 9.4%, though some shorter-distance trips that would not pass a DCS would not be included. ES.2 Overview Exhibit ES.1 presents a number of summary statistics describing truck travel in Northern Ontario. An average of almost 54,000 truck trips per week travel along the Northern Ontario highway network and carry more than half a million tonnes of commodities with an estimated total value of $1.24 billion. The average distance travelled per truck trip is almost 700 km. Truck Traffic Levels Exhibit ES.2 shows a road network assignment of the trips made by trucks passing through the DCS locations. The black diamonds on this plot are the DCSs. The plot shows how the truck travelling in Northern Ontario use the road network in Ontario and beyond. The exhibit distinguishes travel by four types of truck flows: Internal trips, which have both origin and destination in Northern Ontario; Trips from Northern Ontario, which start in Northern Ontario but have a destination outside of Northern Ontario; Trips to Northern Ontario, which start outside of Northern Ontario but have their destination within Northern Ontario; and Through trips, which use the Northern Ontario network but have neither origin nor destination within Northern Ontario and are only using the Northern Ontario road network to pass through. OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.1

6 Exhibit ES. 1: Summary of Weekly Truck Travel Statistics in Northern Ontario Statistic Truck Volumes Value Total trucks on the Northern Ontario highway network 53,800 Trips internal to Northern Ontario 25,800 Trips to/from Northern Ontario 20,500 Through trips (trucks with neither origin nor destination 7,500 in Northern Ontario) Commodities Carried Total commodity value $1.24 billion Average commodity value per truck $23,000 Total tonnes of cargo transported 555,000 tonnes Average tonnes/truck 10.3 Proportion of empty trucks 41% Trip Distances Average total truck trip distance 670 km Average distance travelled in Ontario 461 km Total truck-kilometres in Ontario 25 million International Trips Number of border-crossing truck trips 4,300 Value of weekly cargo shipped to Canada $42 million Value of weekly cargo shipped to USA $30 million In Northern Ontario, truck traffic is concentrated on the two Trans-Canada Highway routes, Highways 11 and 17. It can be seen that the further west, the greater is the proportion of through trips. The highest absolute truck volumes are at the gateways connecting with Southern Ontario: both Highway 11 south of North Bay and Highway 400/69 south of Sudbury (where the route connects with Highway 17) have over 10,000 trucks weekly moving to and from Northern Ontario. To the west, truck flow volumes remain fairly steady from Nipigon through to the Ontario-Manitoba border on Highway 17 at about 9,000 weekly trucks Highways 11 and 17 intersect at North Bay and at Nipigon, the distance between these points by either route being almost equal, at about 700 km. Truck volumes on Highway 11 from the North Bay area through Cochrane and Hearst have increased by roughly one-third since 2006, while truck traffic volumes on Highway 17 have decreased slightly. Truck traffic volumes along Highway 17 and Highway 11 north of Lake Superior are now roughly equal at 5,000 to 6,000 weekly trucks. OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.2

7 Exhibit ES.2: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows on Northern Ontario Roadway Network by Trip Type: Internal, Through Trips, and to/from Northern Ontario Internal North ON Trips To Northern ON only From Northern ON only Through Trips Kilometres OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.3

8 While one would expect vehicle volumes to be roughly balanced weekly by direction, several hundred more heavy trucks can be observed travelling northbound/westbound through Northern Ontario than eastbound/southbound at most locations in This directional imbalance has been increasing over the past decade. In Northwestern Ontario from Red Rock westerly, commercial vehicle growth has been positive in the westbound direction but has decreased in the eastbound direction. This is due mainly to a lack of balance in through trips. It appears that many truck trips from Southern Canada return via the US, perhaps picking up return loads in the US Midwest, to take advantage of lower fuel prices or because border formalities are less onerous for empty vehicles. Vehicle Types A variety of truck vehicle types can be observed on Northern Ontario roads. Exhibit ES.3 shows the configuration of tracks using the network. Heavy trucks with trailers total 60% of total truck configurations in the Northern Ontario CVS. Among tractor-trailer combinations for trips to/from and within Northern Ontario, 16 to 21% include two trailers, which is a much higher proportion than typically seen in the rest of the province; among tractor-trailer combinations on through trips, only 7.3% are two-trailer combinations. Exhibit ES. 3: Northern Ontario Truck CVS Truck Configuration Distribution by Origin-Destination Flow Type Configuration Number of Truck Trips Trips Internal to Northern Ontario To or from Northern Ontario Through Total Straight Truck Only 15,402 3, ,602 Straight Truck & Trailer ,765 Total Straight Trucks 16,326 4, ,367 Tractor Only Tractor & 1 Trailer 7,638 12,413 6,630 26,681 Tractor & 2 Trailers 1,397 3, ,951 Total Tractor-Trailer Trucks 9,436 15,733 7,223 32,392 Total 25,762 20,471 7,526 53,759 Percentage of Truck Trips Straight Truck Only 59.8% 19.5% 2.8% 36.5% Straight Truck & Trailer 3.6% 3.6% 1.3% 3.3% Total Straight Trucks 63.4% 23.1% 4.0% 39.7% Tractor Only 1.6% 1.4% 1.0% 1.4% Tractor & 1 Trailer 29.6% 60.6% 88.1% 49.6% Tractor & 2 Trailers 5.4% 14.8% 6.9% 9.2% Total Tractor-Trailer Trucks 36.6% 76.9% 96.0% 60.3% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% The distribution of Northern Ontario truck body styles is shown in Exhibit ES.4. Considering through trips only, the proportions of body styles are quite different from the Northern Ontario average, with van style trucks/trailers much more common at 71% of trucks compared to 39% of trucks overall. OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.4

9 Exhibit ES.4 Northern Ontario CVS Truck/Trailer Body Style Distribution 27% 11% 4% 9% 6% 6% 11% 5% 12% Animal Carrier Cement Mixer Chip Container Carrier Dump Flatbed Float Hopper Mobile Machines Tractor Only Piggyback Refuse Carrier Stake/Rack Tanker Utility Van - Non refrigerated Van - Refrigerated Van - Soft Sided Vehicle Carrier Exhibit ES.5: Trip Summary Statistics by Trip Type Truck Travel Origins and Destinations Exhibit ES.5 summarizes weekly commercial vehicle travel for trucks using the Northern Ontario roadway network in terms of truck volumes, vehicle-kilometres of travel in Ontario, and commodity value. Exhibit ES.2 is a graphic of these trips. Truck Trips Vehicle-Kilometres in Ontario Commodity Value % of Total (km, % of Average/ Total ($, % of Average/ Trip Type Total Total 1,000s) Total Truck (km) millions) Total Truck ($) Internal 25,762 48% 3,860 16% % 9,934 Other from Northern Ontario 9,590 18% 3,680 15% % 19,633 Other to Northern Ontario 10,880 20% 4,520 18% % 29,300 Through trips 7,526 14% 12,800 51% 1, % 64,456 Total 53, % 24, % 461 1, % 23,015 In terms of truck volumes, almost half of the 54,000 trucks passing DCSs in Northern Ontario make trips that are internal to Northern Ontario. Approximately 14% make through trips, using the Northern Ontario network only to travel between points outside of Northern Ontario. Another 38% are trips that to/from Northern Ontario only. The average through trip involves 1,700 km of travel through Ontario, while truck trips internal to Northern Ontario travel are just 150 km long on average. On average trucks in Northern Ontario carry 10,300 kg of cargo with an average commodity value of $23,000, working out to an average unit value of $2.23 per kilogram. Among trucks carrying loads only, the average commodity weight is 17,400 kg and an average commodity value of $38,700. There is a considerable difference in the values of cargo for the different trip flow types. The greatest commodity value is found on through trips with an average value of some $71,200 per truck; internal Northern Ontario truck trips have the lowest average value at $10,000. OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.5

10 Commercial interactions between Northern Ontario and other areas, as inferred from origins and destinations of truck trips, are focused on the following: between the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Sudbury via Highway 400 (a portion continuing to/from Sault Ste. Marie); between the GTA and North Bay via Highway 11; between Winnipeg and Dryden/Kenora; and between Thunder Bay and Minnesota, especially the Duluth area. Virtually all trips to/from Eastern Ontario and Eastern Canada using Northern Ontario roads represent through trips to the US (via Sault Ste. Marie) or Western Canada. The directional imbalance in heavy truck traffic noted earlier be attributed to differences in through trip flows. Through trip volumes from Southern Ontario to Western Canada are 78% higher than in the opposite direction, with 1,200 more trips headed west than east. This imbalance can be due to a triangular trade route whereby loaded trucks travel from Southern Ontario to Western Canada but then return through the United States, perhaps picking up cargo in the Midwest before returning to Southern Ontario. Travel Patterns by Commodity Type Exhibit ES.6 shows the origins of the 54,000 weekly truck trips on Northern Ontario roads, indicating the relative value of shipments at each origin and the distribution by commodity type. Exhibit ES.7 shows similar information by commodity value for destination zones. The exhibits show a wide variety of goods being shipped to/from each location. Among the most significant origin for goods shipped in Northern Ontario in terms of commodity value is South-Central Ontario, which accounts for roughly onequarter of goods by commodity value. Commodities shipped are largely manufactured and processed products as well as mixed-freight goods. The total value of loads shipped by mixed freight loads/ltl (less-thantruckload)/mail to/from locations outside of Northern Ontario is relatively large. These shipments would typically be handled by third-party transportation logistics companies using transport trucks with standard van-style trailers. ES.3 International Trade Summary travel statistics for each of the Northern Ontario border crossings by direction are shown in Exhibit ES.8. The flows represented by these international trips is shown in Exhibit ES.9. A total of 4,300 trucks carrying an estimated $72 million in goods cross the Northern Ontario borders weekly. The busiest of these border crossing is Sault-Ste. Marie with almost 2,000 weekly trucks. Trucks at Northern Ontario border crossings tend to travel roughly 1,000 km on average on their trip. High proportions of truck returning empty are noted, especially travelling toward the United States. Among the truck flows at the borders, significant interconnectedness can be seen between Ontario paper and steel industries near the border, with US suppliers sending wood pulp, scrap metal, minerals and chemicals, etc. for use in Northern Ontario industries near the borders, and with these same industries sending raw and processed goods to the US. OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.6

11 Exhibit ES.6: Northern Ontario Truck Commodity Value at Trip Origin by Commodity Type OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.7

12 Exhibit ES.7: Northern Ontario Truck Commodity Value at Trip Destination by Commodity Type OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.8

13 Border crossings commercial vehicle volumes have been decreasing in recent years, and in 2011 were at about one-third of 2001 levels at Pigeon River, and at 80% of 2001 levels at Sault Ste. Marie. Exhibit ES.8 Weekly International Truck Travel Statistics by Northern Ontario Border Crossing Crossing To Canada Truck Trips Commodity Value ($ millions) Tonnes Shipped (thousands) % Canadian Trucks % Empty Trucks Average Distance Travelled (km) Sault Ste Marie % 19% 1,271 Pigeon River % 36% 1,270 Fort Frances % 31% 707 Rainy River % 37% 297 Total 2, % 27% 1,021 To US Sault Ste Marie % 35% 1,205 Pigeon River % 52% 899 Fort Frances % 31% 671 Rainy River % 89% 360 Total 2, % 44% 942 TOTAL Total 4, % 36% 982 ES.4 Conclusions The key findings of the Northern Ontario commercial vehicle travel profile are as follows: 1. The Northern Ontario CVS database presents results that appear in line with the economic and transportation reality in Northern Ontario. 2. Truck travel through Northern Ontario Canada-US international borders reflects interconnectedness between Canada-US industries. 3. Northern Ontario highways serve truck travel unique to the Northern Ontario economy. 4. Northern Ontario highways serve as a vital trans-continental link. OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.9

14 IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT: NORTHERN ONTARIO COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRAVEL PROFILE Exhibit ES.9 Weekly International Truck Volumes Using Northern Ontario International Border Crossings Rainy River Fort Frances Sault Ste. Marie Trips Entering Canada Trips Entering US Kilometres OCTOBER 30, 2013 ES.10

15 1. Introduction 1.1 Study Background The Growth Plan for Northern Ontario directs the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario (MTO) to develop a Northern Ontario Multimodal Transportation Strategy; this strategy will chart a long-term course for future planning, policy, programs, and infrastructure investment. An essential starting point to developing a sound strategy is having an accurate and comprehensive understanding of current travel patterns and characteristics in the region. Origindestination surveys provide this knowledge base and a rich source of transportation information. MTO has retained IBI Group to conduct origin-destination surveys of passenger and commercial vehicles at a number of sites in Northern Ontario, including international border crossings and locations along provincial highways. The survey program consists of three components: a commercial vehicle survey, a passenger vehicle survey, and traffic counts to support the data expansion of both surveys. 1.2 Report Purpose and Organization This report presents a Northern Ontario commercial vehicle travel profile based on the results of the Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey (CVS) conducted in Fall Following this introduction, the report is organized as follows: Chapter 2 provides an overview of Northern Ontario truck travel in terms of truck traffic levels, major origin-destination patterns, and analysis of the types of cargo carried; Chapter 3 focuses on truck travel at the four Northern Ontario international border crossings; and Chapter 4 summarizes the report. Other aspects of the Northern Ontario CVS are documented separately in the following reports for this study: Commercial Vehicle Survey: Survey Design and Conduct; Commercial Vehicle Survey: Data Processing; and Commercial Vehicle Survey: Traffic and Vehicle Classification Count Summary. The Northern Ontario Passenger Vehicle Survey is also documented in separate reports. OCTOBER 30,

16 1.3 Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey Program The Northern Ontario CVS represents one of the earliest phases of data collection for the current province-wide Ontario CVS. The Ontario CVS is an invaluable resource for transportation and infrastructure planning at the provincial, national and international levels. The CVS has been conducted approximately every five years since 1999 and is compatible with the National Roadside Survey (NRS) conducted by Transport Canada in provinces outside of Ontario. The province-wide Ontario CVS involves tens of thousands of face-toface interviews with truck operators at various locations throughout the Ontario roadway network, with questions regarding truck routes, commodities and company information, as well as vehicle dimensions and axle weights. When the remainder of the data collection for the Ontario CVS is completed, the Northern Ontario CVS will be integrated into the larger Ontario CVS dataset. Meanwhile, Northern Ontario CVS data are also expanded and maintained separately for analysis in this study and for other purposes in support of transportation planning for Northern Ontario. 1.4 Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey Background The Northern Ontario CVS was conducted at 36 directional Data Collection Sites (DCSs), including 8 DCSs at international border crossing sites (4 crossings, 2 directions each) and 28 DCSs on provincial highways (15 unique locations, 13 of which were surveyed in both directions), between September 12 and November 4, These locations are shown in Exhibit 1.1. The locations were strategically selected to intercept all long-distance traffic using the Northern Ontario road network. The 2011 Northern Ontario CVS data includes 5,087 records that have been standardized, validated and expanded. These represent a 4.9% sample of the truck volumes at individual DCSs. Longer-distance trucks pass through more than one DCS and have a chance to be inspected at each point; taking this into account, the effective sample of all unique trucks passing the survey stations is estimated to be 9.4%. Data records have been assigned expansion weights indicating how many trucks each survey record is estimated to represent. The data can be used for a wide variety of additional analyses well beyond the results presented in this report. While the survey does not contain records of those trucks in Northern Ontario that travel shorter distances and would not pass a survey DCS, the strategic distribution of the 36 DCS locations on major routes, the significant sample rate, and the careful validation and expansion of the survey data results in a database that represents well the commercial vehicles travelling longer distances that use the Northern Ontario provincial highway network. The long-distance highway network in Northern Ontario is restricted to a relatively few routes, such that all types of longer-distance truck trip movements could be intercepted and included in the survey. OCTOBER 30,

17 Exhibit 1.1: Map of Northern Ontario Commercial Vehicle Survey Data Collection Site (DCS) Locations OCTOBER 30,

18 2. Overview of Commercial Vehicle Travel This chapter expands provides an overview of truck travel in Northern Ontario, drawing insights from truck traffic levels, vehicle types, commodity types, truck flow patterns and other Northern Ontario CVS data. An average of almost 54,000 truck trips per week travel along the Northern Ontario roadway network, carrying some $1.24 billion in commodities. These and other summary travel statistics summarized in Exhibit 2.1 will be examined in more detail in this chapter. Exhibit 2.1: Summary of Weekly Truck Travel Statistics in Northern Ontario Statistic Value Truck Volumes Total trucks on the Northern Ontario highway network 53,800 Trips internal to Northern Ontario 25,800 Trips to/from Northern Ontario 20,500 Through trips (trucks with neither origin nor destination 7,500 in Northern Ontario) Commodities Carried Total commodity value $1.24 billion Average commodity value per truck $23,000 Total tonnes of cargo transported 555,000 tonnes Average tonnes/truck 10.3 Proportion of empty trucks 41% Trip Distances Average total truck trip distance 670 km Average distance travelled in Ontario 461 km Total truck-kilometres in Ontario 25 million International Trips Number of border-crossing truck trips 4,300 Value of weekly cargo shipped to Canada $42 million Value of weekly cargo shipped to USA $30 million OCTOBER 30,

19 2.1 Truck Traffic Levels Exhibit 2.2 shows weekly truck traffic volumes for the 2011 Northern Ontario CVS stations and compares these with volumes where available for 2001 and 2006 from previous Ontario CVSs. 1 Exhibit 2.3A shows a road network assignment of the trips made by trucks passing through the DCS locations. The black diamonds on this plot are the DCSs that were shown in Exhibit 1.1 and whose truck traffic volumes are summarized in Exhibit 2.2. The plot shows the weekly traffic volumes not just at the DCS locations but also shows how these truck trips use the road network in Ontario and beyond. In Northern Ontario, truck traffic is concentrated on the two Trans-Canada highway routes, Highways 11 and 17. The highest truck volumes are at the gateways connecting with Southern Ontario: both Highway 11 south of North Bay and Highway 400/69 south of Sudbury (where the route connects with Highway 17) have over 10,000 trucks weekly, most of these flows being to/from the Greater Toronto Area. Highways 11 and 17 intersect two times: at North Bay and again at Nipigon. For trips between these locations and beyond, drivers have their choice between either Highway 11 or Highway 17; either route is about 700 km in length. (For travel between Toronto and Nipigon the Highway 400 and Highway 17 route by way of Sudbury is about 60 km shorter than the Highway 11 route.) Longdistance truckers may prefer Highway 11 as it offers a flatter route with fewer curves than Highway 17 and, being more remote, there are also fewer passenger vehicles to contend with on Highway 11. Truck traffic volumes along Highway 17 and Highway 11 north of Lake Superior are now roughly equal at 5,000 to 6,000 weekly trucks. This represents an increase in truck volumes on Highway 11 of roughly one-third since 2006, while truck traffic volumes on Highway 17 have decreased slightly since Highway 11 and 17 are a cosigned route between Nipigon and Thunder Bay. West of Thunder Bay where Highway 11 and 17 diverge, the majority of truck flows continue along Highway 17 through Northwestern Ontario. Truck volumes remain fairly steady at about 9,000 weekly trucks between Nipigon and the Ontario-Manitoba border. Exhibit 2.3B shows how trucks in Northern Ontario use the broader continental highway network. Beyond Northern Ontario to the west, major truck flows continue westward to Winnipeg which has been growing as a transportation hub including trucking logistics and beyond, branching off in Saskatchewan on the two Trans-Canada routes: Highway 1 to Calgary and Vancouver, and Highway 16 to Edmonton. To the east of Northern Ontario, there are significant truck flows along Highway 17 to/from Montreal. 1 In assessing historical trends, one should be aware that some degree of variation between years can be attributed to seasonal variations, as counts conducted in different years were often conducted in different seasons. In addition, there may be differences in the accuracy of count data between years, as the 2011 counts were more thoroughly validated through manual and video classification counts. OCTOBER 30,

20 Exhibit 2.2: Weekly Truck Traffic Volumes and Growth Rates by Highway Weekly Truck Volumes Total Growth Rate DCS Location Dir Border Crossings, East to West ON0280 Sault Ste. Marie To Can 1,323 1, % -22% ON0279 To US 1,128 1, % -10% ON0153 Pigeon River Border To Can 1, % -51% ON0154 To US 1, % -13% ON0120 Fort Frances To Can ON0121 To US ON0155 Rainy River To Can ON0156 To US Highway Sites, East to West Highway 11 ON0271 Wasi (2012) NB 3,494 3,685 5,714 64% 55% ON0272 SB 3,509 3,573 4,965 41% 39% ON0144 New Liskeard NB 3,761 3,212 4,228 12% 32% ON0145 SB 3,810 2,833 3,354-12% 18% ON0104 Cochrane EB 2,214 1,820 2,329 5% 28% ON0105 WB 2,222 2,218 3,079 39% 39% ON0132 Hearst EB 2,049 2,050 2,833 38% 38% ON0133 WB 2,068 2,441 3,427 66% 40% Highway 17 and Highway 11&17 ON0146 North Bay WB 3,546 2,533 2,752-22% 9% ON0147 Northshore EB 3,620 3,704 2,744-24% -26% ON0148 WB 3,571 4,291 3,956 11% -8% ON0134 Heyden NB 1,534 3,293 3, % -4% ON0135 SB 1,496 2,792 2,408 61% -14% ON0157 Red Rock Hwy 11/17 EB 3,279 4,462 3,843 17% -14% ON0158 WB 3,238 5,125 5,288 63% 3% ON0264 Thunder Bay Hwy 11/17 EB - - 2, ON0265 WB - - 3, ON0117 Dryden EB 4,139 4,441 4,233 2% -5% ON0118 WB 4,164 4,754 5,322 28% 12% ON0159 Rush Bay EB - 4,422 4, % ON0260 WB - 4,868 5,433-12% Highway 66 ON0140 Kirkland Lake EB ON0141 WB % Highway 101 ON0600 Timmins EB - - 1, ON0601 WB - - 1, Highway 102 ON0262 Thunder Bay Hwy 102 EB 4,037 3,399 2,823-30% -17% ON0263 WB 3,995 3,307 3,948-1% 19% Highway 400 ON0150 Parry Sound NB - 6,177 5, % ON0151 SB - 5,460 5, % OCTOBER 30,

21 IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT: NORTHERN ONTARIO COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRAVEL PROFILE Exhibit 2.3: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows on Northern Ontario Roadway Network A. Ontario View Kilometres OCTOBER 30,

22 Exhibit 2.3: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows on Northern Ontario (continued) B. North American View Kilometres OCTOBER 30,

23 A consistent trend in 2011 truck volumes along the main highway corridors is that several hundred more trucks can be observed travelling northbound/ westbound through Northern Ontario than eastbound/southbound, as can be seen in Exhibit 2.2. This directional imbalance has been increasing over the past decade; truck volumes in 2001 are very closely balanced by direction. In Northwestern Ontario from Red Rock westerly, commercial vehicle growth has been positive in the westbound direction but has decreased in the eastbound direction. This directional imbalance is linked to the travel patterns of through trips, and will be discussed further later in this chapter. At Canada-US border crossings, commercial vehicle volumes have been decreasing in recent years, and in 2011 total 4,300 truck trip crossings per week, about one-third of 2001 levels at Pigeon River, and at 80% of 2001 levels at Sault Ste. Marie. Pigeon River used to have the most weekly truck crossings among the Northern Ontario border crossings, but by 2011 is second to Sault Ste. Marie, (about 1,000 weekly trucks at Pigeon River vs. 2,000 at Sault Ste. Marie). 2.1 Vehicle Styles A variety of truck vehicle types can be observed on Northern Ontario roads; these vary by type of trip. The CVS includes all medium and heavy trucks with a minimum of 6 tires, excluding emergency vehicles. Truck configurations are summarized in Exhibit 2.4. The two main groups are straight trucks - these typically have a cargo-carrying component on the truck, or may be service trucks, utility trucks or mobile machines and tractor-trailer combinations. Straight trucks with or without trailers total 40% of total truck configurations in the Northern Ontario CVS; these are more common for shorter trips internal to Northern Ontario where they represent 63% of trips. Tractor-trailer combinations, including tractor-only, total 60% of trips overall, but dominate through trips at 96% of through trips. Among tractor-trailer combinations for trips to/from and within Northern Ontario, 16 to 20% include two trailers, which is a higher proportion than typically seen in the rest of the province; among tractor-trailer combinations on through trips, only 7.2% are twotrailer combinations. The distribution of truck body styles is shown in Exhibit 2.5. These include the style of the truck body for straight trucks, or the style of the trailer for tractortrailer combinations. The most common body styles among trucks in Northern Ontario is vans at 39% of trucks (refrigerated, non-refrigerated and soft-sided combined), flatbeds at 11%, tankers at 9%, and dump trucks at 11%. Trucks commonly used in the logging and wood products industries include stake/rake-style trucks and chip trucks, together totalling 11% of trucks. Considering through trips only, the proportions of body styles are quite different from the Northern Ontario average, with van style trucks/trailers much more common at 71% of trucks; and most of the remaining trucks/trailers being flatbeds, floats and tankers. OCTOBER 30,

24 Exhibit 2.4: Northern Ontario Truck CVS Truck Configuration Distribution by Origin-Destination Flow Type Configuration Number of Truck Trips Trips Internal to Northern Ontario To or from Northern Ontario Through Total Straight Truck Only 15,402 3, ,602 Straight Truck & Trailer ,765 Total Straight Trucks 16,326 4, ,367 Tractor Only Tractor & 1 Trailer 7,638 12,413 6,630 26,681 Tractor & 2 Trailers 1,397 3, ,951 Total Tractor-Trailer Trucks 9,436 15,733 7,223 32,392 Total 25,762 20,471 7,526 53,759 Percentage of Truck Trips Straight Truck Only 59.8% 19.5% 2.8% 36.5% Straight Truck & Trailer 3.6% 3.6% 1.3% 3.3% Total Straight Trucks 63.4% 23.1% 4.0% 39.7% Tractor Only 1.6% 1.4% 1.0% 1.4% Tractor & 1 Trailer 29.6% 60.6% 88.1% 49.6% Tractor & 2 Trailers 5.4% 14.8% 6.9% 9.2% Total Tractor-Trailer Trucks 36.6% 76.9% 96.0% 60.3% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% OCTOBER 30,

25 Exhibit 2.5: Northern Ontario CVS Truck/Trailer Body Style Distribution A. All Trucks B. Trips Internal to Northern Ontario 11% 6% 11% 27% 12% 5% 4% 9% 6% C. Trips to/from Northern Ontario D. Through Trucks OCTOBER 30,

26 2.2 Truck Travel Origin-Destination Flows Exhibit 2.6 summarizes weekly commercial vehicle travel for trucks using the Northern Ontario roadway network in terms of truck volumes, vehicle-kilometres of travel in Ontario, and commodity value. Exhibit 2.6: Trip Summary Statistics by Trip Origin-Destination Type Trip Origin-Destination Type Total Truck Trips Vehicle-Kilometres in Ontario Commodity Value % of Total Total (km, 1,000s) % of Total Average/ Truck (km) Total ($, millions) % of Total Average/ Truck ($) Internal 25,762 48% 3,860 16% % 9,934 Other from Northern Ontario 9,590 18% 3,680 15% % 19,633 Other to Northern Ontario 10,880 20% 4,520 18% % 29,300 Through trips 7,526 14% 12,800 51% 1, % 64,456 Total 53, % 24, % 461 1, % 23,015 In terms of truck volumes, almost half of the 54,000 trucks passing DCSs in Northern Ontario make trips that are internal to Northern Ontario. Approximately 14% make through trips, using the Northern Ontario road network only to travel between points outside of Northern Ontario. Another 38% are trips that move to and from Northern Ontario only. However, in terms of vehicle-kilometres travelled, which better reflects usage of the Ontario roadway network and the probability of making a given type of trip on the road network, more than half of truck-kilometres represent through trips. 2 The average through trip involves 1,700 km of travel through Ontario, while trips internal to Northern Ontario travel just 150 km on average and represent only 16% of Ontario truck-kilometres. There is a considerable difference in the values of cargo as well for the different trip types. The greatest value is found on through trips with an average value of some $64,500; internal Northern Ontario truck trips have the lowest average value at $10,000. (All values are averaged over both loaded and empty trucks.) Trucks to and from Northern Ontario carry an average of $24,600 of goods, with trucks bringing cargo to Northern Ontario having considerably more value than trucks bringing cargo from Northern Ontario, presumably because much of the cargo transported out of Northern Ontario is non value-added raw materials with lesser unit value. 2 Vehicle-kilometres in Ontario are discussed, as opposed to in Northern Ontario, as distance travelled within each province/state is more straightforward to extract from the CVS data. OCTOBER 30,

27 Origin-Destination Flows by Number of Trucks Further origin-destination detail in terms of numbers of trucks is provided in Exhibit 2.7, a plot of weekly truck flows on the roadway network by trucks travelling in Northern Ontario showing different colours for internal trips, trips to Northern Ontario, trips from Northern Ontario and through trips. Origin-destination detail in terms of the number and proportion of truck trips is also summarized in table form in Exhibit 2.8. Eastern Canada in Exhibit 2.8 and other tables in this chapter represents Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, while Western Canada represents all provinces and territories to the west of Ontario. Through trips represent 14% of Northern Ontario truck flows. In Northeastern Ontario, through trips use Highway 11 and 17 corridors roughly equally; most of these trips continue on Highway 17 in Northwestern Ontario. There are also very significant through trips to/from the Toronto and Montreal areas. Internal Northern Ontario trips represent 48% of Northern Ontario truck flows. These tend to be focused around Northern Ontario urban centres and natural resource areas. Among the 26,000 weekly internal Northern Ontario truck trips, most remain within either Northwestern Ontario or Northeastern Ontario, only about 1,000 travel between these regions. (Additional internal trips may not have been captured in the survey as they would take place entirely between two DCSs, e.g. trips between Dryden and Kenora, or on lower-volumes routes that did not have a DCS.) Trips to/from Northern Ontario represent 38% of Northern Ontario truck flows. Commercial interactions between Northern Ontario and other areas, as inferred from origins and destinations of truck trips, are focused on the following, listed in order of decreasing volume: between the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Sudbury via Highway 400/69 (a portion continuing to/from Sault Ste. Marie); between the GTA and North Bay via Highway 11; between Winnipeg and Dryden/Kenora; and between Thunder Bay and Minnesota, especially the Duluth area. Virtually all trips to/from Eastern Ontario and Eastern Canada using Northern Ontario roads represent through trips to the US (via Sault Ste. Marie) or Western Canada. There is very little traffic to/from Eastern Ontario/Eastern Canada that is destined to or originating in Northern Ontario. (However, some trips to/from the North Bay area may have been missed due to the placement of the DCS locations.) OCTOBER 30,

28 Exhibit 2.7: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows on Northern Ontario Roadway Network by Trip Type: Internal, Through Trips, and to/from Northern Ontario Internal North ON Trips To Northern ON only From Northern ON only Through Trips Kilometres OCTOBER 30,

29 Exhibit 2.8: Weekly Northern Ontario Trucks Trips by Trip Origin and Destination Origin Zone Number of Truck Trips Destination Zone Northwest Ontario Northeast Ontario Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Northwestern Ontario 8, , ,073 11,656 Northeastern Ontario ,605 4, ,697 Southern Ontario 361 5, , ,119 Western Canada 1, , ,465 Eastern Canada ,247 United States 1,010 1, ,576 Total 12,138 24,504 7,504 5,517 1,790 2,307 53,759 Proportion of Truck Trips Northwestern Ontario 15.1% 0.7% 0.4% 3.4% 0.1% 2.0% 21.7% Northeastern Ontario 1.2% 30.9% 9.2% 0.2% 0.9% 1.6% 44.1% Southern Ontario 0.7% 10.2% 0.3% 5.1% 0.6% 0.1% 17.0% Western Canada 3.6% 0.4% 2.9% - 1.3% 0.1% 8.3% Eastern Canada 0.1% 1.5% 0.8% 1.3% 0.0% 0.4% 4.2% United States 1.9% 1.9% 0.3% 0.2% 0.5% 0.0% 4.8% Total 22.6% 45.6% 14.0% 10.3% 3.3% 4.3% 100.0% Total The directional imbalance in heavy truck traffic noted in Section 2.1 can be attributed by differences in through-trip flows. Through-trip volumes from Southern Ontario to Western Canada are 78% higher than in the opposite direction, with 1,200 more trips headed west than east. This coincides with the opposite trend observed at several provincial highway locations in Southern Ontario, where roughly the same amount of additional heavy trucks can be observed eastbound than westbound. It can be hypothesized that this imbalance is due to a triangular trade route whereby loaded trucks travel from Southern Ontario to Western Canada but then return through the United States perhaps picking up cargo at Chicago and Michigan before returning to Southern Ontario. Alternatively trucks may come back empty from Western Canada electing to come back through the US: being empty they would not require detailed inspection at border points. Returning east via the US, truck drivers would also enjoy the typically lower fuel prices in the US compared to Canada. More detailed origin-destination matrices are included as Appendix A. OCTOBER 30,

30 Origin-Destination Flows by Vehicle-Kilometres Travelled The geography of Northern Ontario and the long distances between urban centres often results in very long truck travel distances. Overall, the average distance travelled in Ontario by any truck observed on Northern Ontario roads is 462 km, roughly equivalent to the distance between Thunder Bay and Kenora, or between Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay. The average total trip length is 670 km, almost the distance between Nipigon and North Bay, or between Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto. Compared to the number of truck trips, the importance of through trips among trucks using the Northern Ontario road network comes across more strongly when total weekly vehicle-kilometres travelled in Ontario are examined. Exhibit 2.9 shows in matrix form the total Ontario truck vehicle-kilometres by origin and destination pair, as well as the proportion of total Ontario vehicle-kilometres travelled. The distances travelled beyond Ontario not included in these figures; many trucks travel significant distances beyond the Ontario road network. Among trucks in Northern Ontario, through trips represent more than half of Ontario vehicle-kilometres travelled, compared to only 14% of the number of trucks. Trips travelling from Southern Ontario through Northern Ontario to Western Canada represent almost 22% of vehicle-kilometres; the reverse flow, 12%. Trips travelling from Southern Ontario or Eastern Canada to Western Canada average over 2,000 km on Ontario highways. Trips internal to Northern Ontario, which represent 48% of trucks, represent 16% of truck vehicle-kilometres. These travel an average distance of 150 km. Trips travelling to and from Northern Ontario make up 32% of Ontario vehiclekilometres driven by Northern Ontario trucks. OCTOBER 30,

31 Exhibit 2.9: Weekly Northern Ontario Truck Vehicle-Kilometres Travelled by Trip Origin and Destination Origin Zone Destination Zone Northwest Ontario Northeast Ontario Vehicle-Kilometres Travelled in Ontario (millions) Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Northwestern Ontario ,096 Northeastern Ontario 474 2,288 2, ,444 Southern Ontario 523 2, , ,838 Western Canada ,076 1, ,303 Eastern Canada , ,238 United States Total 2,443 5,937 6,120 7,692 2, ,834 Proportion of Vehicle-Kilometres Travelled in Ontario Northwestern Ontario 3.4% 1.1% 1.5% 1.9% 0.2% 0.5% 8.4% Northeastern Ontario 1.9% 9.2% 9.1% 0.7% 0.5% 0.6% 21.9% Southern Ontario 2.1% 10.3% 0.3% 22.0% 0.7% 0.2% 35.6% Western Canada 1.9% 1.2% 12.4% - 5.5% 0.4% 21.4% Eastern Canada 0.2% 1.0% 0.9% 6.1% 0.0% 0.8% 9.0% United States 0.3% 1.2% 0.5% 0.4% 1.2% 0.0% 3.7% Total 9.8% 23.9% 24.6% 31.0% 8.1% 2.5% 100.0% Average Ontario Distance per Truck (km) Northwestern Ontario , , Northeastern Ontario , Southern Ontario 1, , Western Canada 245 1,330 1,981-2,014 1,286 1,188 Eastern Canada 1, , United States , Overall Average ,394 1, Average Total Distance Travelled per Truck (km) Northwestern Ontario , , Northeastern Ontario , Southern Ontario 1, , ,375 1,348 Western Canada 475 2,324 3,001-3,452 2,640 1,932 Eastern Canada 1, , ,159 1,692 United States ,434 2,265 2,166 1, Total ,046 2,355 1, Total OCTOBER 30,

32 Origin-Destination Flows by Commodity Value and Weight Exhibit 2.10 shows Northern Ontario truck origin-destination flows in terms of the total and percentage total value of commodities carried, and also provides an average total commodity value per truck. Exhibit 2.11 shows the same for commodity weight. The total value of goods shipped weekly on Northern Ontario roads is $1.24 billion, with the average truck carrying 10,300 kg of cargo, and an average commodity value of $23,000, working out to an average unit value of $2.23 per kilogram. Among trucks carrying loads only, the average commodity weight is 17,400 kg and average commodity value is $38,700. Exhibit 2.10: Total Weekly Commodity Value Transported by Truck in Northern Ontario by Trip Origin and Destination Destination Zone Origin Zone Northwest Ontario Northeast Ontario Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Total Total Commodity Value ($ millions) Northwestern Ontario Northeastern Ontario Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Total ,237 Proportion of Commodity Value Northwestern Ontario 4.5% 0.8% 2.6% 3.0% 0.0% 0.7% 11.6% Northeastern Ontario 3.1% 12.4% 6.8% 0.6% 0.3% 1.2% 24.3% Southern Ontario 1.5% 12.7% 0.0% 16.3% 0.6% 0.3% 31.5% Western Canada 2.9% 1.3% 9.2% - 4.5% 0.3% 18.2% Eastern Canada 0.2% 2.8% 1.1% 4.3% 0.0% 0.4% 8.9% United States 1.4% 2.0% 0.5% 0.4% 1.2% 0.0% 5.5% Total 13.6% 32.0% 20.2% 24.6% 6.7% 2.9% 100.0% Average Commodity Value Carried per Truck (All Trucks including Empty Trucks) Northwestern Ontario Northeastern Ontario Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Overall Average OCTOBER 30,

33 Exhibit 2.11: Total Weekly Commodity Weight Transported by Truck in Northern Ontario by Trip Origin and Destination Destination Zone Origin Zone Northwest Ontario Northeast Ontario Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Total Total Commodity Weight (thousand tonnes) Northwestern Ontario Northeastern Ontario Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Total Proportion of Commodity Weight Northwestern Ontario 14.1% 0.9% 0.4% 1.3% 0.0% 1.3% 18.0% Northeastern Ontario 1.0% 20.8% 7.7% 0.4% 1.8% 2.2% 34.0% Southern Ontario 0.9% 15.1% 0.1% 7.1% 1.0% 0.1% 24.2% Western Canada 4.6% 0.6% 4.1% - 1.8% 0.2% 11.3% Eastern Canada 0.1% 2.3% 1.9% 1.8% 0.0% 0.6% 6.7% United States 1.8% 2.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.9% 0.0% 5.8% Total 22.5% 42.2% 14.6% 10.9% 5.5% 4.4% 100.0% Average Commodity Weight per Truck (tonnes, All Trucks including Empty Trucks) Northwestern Ontario Northeastern Ontario Southern Ontario Western Canada Eastern Canada United States Overall Average Through trips have the highest average commodity value at $64,500 per truck. The 7,500 weekly through trips carry a total value of $485 million weekly, or 39% of the total commodity value for the Northern Ontario CVS trips. Of this total, 42% is accounted for by trips from Southern Ontario to Western Canada. Trips internal to Northern Ontario carry a total value of $256 million weekly. The value of goods flowing from Northern Ontario is just 61% of the value of goods flowing into Northern Ontario by truck: goods exported by truck from Northern Ontario total $188 million, while goods imported to Northern Ontario total $308 million. Trips from the US have an average value of $26,500, while trips to the US have an average value of $15,500. This is due in part to a greater proportion of empty trucks crossing the border to the US than the opposite direction, and also to greater proportion of raw goods being shipped to the US, while a greater proportion of value-added goods is shipped to Canada. OCTOBER 30,

34 2.3 Travel Origin-Destination Flows by Commodity Type In this section, truck travel origins, destinations and travel patterns are examined by cargo commodity type. In the CVS, detailed commodity type information is available; these have been grouped into 13 commodity groups to simplify analysis. These categories are listed below with examples of specific commodities for each group carried by Northern Ontario trucks: Agricultural Products: live cattle/pigs/horses; wheat; fresh fruits and vegetables; eggs; and animal and pet food; Food: meat, fish and poultry; bakery items; processed foods; dairy products; and beverages; Chemicals & Products: basic chemicals and compounds such as hydrochloric acid, liquid/compressed oxygen or hydrogen; medical and pharmaceutical products; fertilizer; paint; cleaning products; resins and waxes; products made of acrylic, plastic, and rubber and fibreglass; Machinery & Electrical: construction, mining and farming equipment; engines; compressors; air conditioners; heaters; freezers; electronics including products for entertainment, office and computers; and electrical cables; Manufactured Products: household and office furniture; books and printed material; clothing; and carpet; Metals & Products: steel plates, coils, tubing/pipes; steel drums and containers; and primarily metal products such as doors, panels, furnaces and tools; Minerals: gravel; sand; soil; salt; granite; cement; concrete products; nickel; and uranium; Petroleum & Products: Gasoline and other fuel; oil; and asphalt; Transportation: automobiles and trucks; car parts; helicopters; boats; and snowmobiles; Wood & Products: logs; wood chips; lumber; wood panels; windows and doors; paper pulp; newsprint; office paper; paper towels; and cardboard products; Waste & Scrap: scrap metal; sawdust; used tires; paper, bottles and metal for recycling; and trash for landfill; Mixed, Mail, Unknown: parcels, mail, sealed trailers; LTL (lessthan-load) general freight; and Empty: includes shipping containers not for sale but returning empty. OCTOBER 30,

35 Commodity Origins and Destinations by Number of Trucks Exhibit 2.12 and Exhibit 2.13 show the origins and destinations, respectively, of the 54,000 weekly truck trips by commodity type on Northern Ontario roads. The exhibits indicate the relative magnitude of truck trips at each origin/destination and the distribution by commodity type. On these and the following exhibits, origins and destinations have been combined into areas shown by dotted lines, typically reflecting upper-tier government regions or districts. In some cases, the main urbanized area within a region is shown separately from the surrounding area, for example, there are separate zones for the City of Thunder Bay and for the rest of the Thunder Bay District. The exhibits show a wide variety of goods being shipped to/from each location. Overall, empty trucks represent 40% of truck trips. The large proportion of empty truck trips at most trip origin/destination locations is evident, with the main exceptions being locations outside of Northern Ontario. Empty truck trips tend to be unavoidable when goods are moved by more specialized trucks, as is the case for moving raw materials related to natural resource industries in Northern Ontario: it is difficult to create efficiencies and load up logging trucks, wood chip trucks, dump trucks, vehicle floats, etc., with other goods to reduce empty truck kilometres on the return trips. For long-distance trips of goods that can be carried by transportation companies in standard van-style transport trucks, however, efficiencies can be developed to reduce the number or distance of empty truck movements. Empty trucks tend to travel shorter distances overall. Empty truck trips also represent trips by utility vehicles and by mobile machines such as those used in construction. In a few locations, empty truck trips represent more than 50% of trip origins (e.g. Kenora outside of the City of Kenora). This could represent areas where a higher number of loads tend to be dropped off and trucks leave empty after dropping off their load; these loads tend to leave in their final form (e.g. after processing) in a smaller number of large trucks. They could involve areas of construction (e.g. cement trucks leaving empty from construction sites) or there could be significant proportions of service vehicles and mobile machines in the vehicle mix. As shown in and Exhibit 2.13, truck flows to Central Ontario have a relatively high proportion of empty trips as well; Central Ontario is a net exporter of goods to Northeastern Ontario, and empty trucks return to Central Ontario empty after unloading goods. Empty trucks returning eastward from Western Canada through Northern Ontario are notably rare due to the triangular trade route through the United States noted previously. Empty truck trips to/from Quebec and Eastern Canada are also not very common. Among loaded trucks, commodities related to Northern Ontario s primary natural resource industries are relatively common. These include wood products (including paper) originating throughout Northern Ontario. (Similarly, wood/paper product goods from Quebec and Eastern Canada are transported along Northern Ontario roads; these are typically destined to Michigan and other US states.) Truck carrying goods related to mining and metal refining industries are also evident, especially in Northeastern Ontario; these include the minerals and metals/metal products categories. Chemical products are also shipped from Sudbury and North Bay. Some of the waste and scrap shipped includes byproducts of these industries, such as sawdust from wood/paper industries, or waste/scrap to be processed, such as metal sent to a steel refinery to be OCTOBER 30,

36 recycled. Shipments of petroleum and petroleum products are also fairly significant in some locations, such as the Thunder Bay area. Less related to primary industries are mixed loads, which are very common at 10% of overall trips. The bulk of these are shipped from Central and Southern Ontario westward to Northern Ontario and beyond to Western Canada. Also fairly common are agricultural products and food shipments; while some are destined to/from Northern Ontario, the bulk of these pass through Northern Ontario to/from other parts of Canada. Commodity Origins and Destinations by Commodity Value The goods movement picture painted by truck trip origins and destinations by commodity value tells shows different emphases than does the number of truck trips. Exhibit 2.14 and Exhibit 2.15 show the origins and destinations, respectively, of the $1.24 billion in commodities transported weekly on Northern Ontario roads. Among the most significant origins for goods shipped in Northern Ontario in terms of commodity value is Central Ontario, accounting for roughly one-quarter of goods shipped in Northern Ontario. Commodities shipped are largely manufactured and processed products as well as mixed-freight goods. Central Ontario also receives significant goods exported from more southerly locations in Northeastern Ontario. The total value of loads shipped by mixed freight loads/ltl (less-thantruckload)/mail to/from locations outside of Northern Ontario is relatively large. These shipments would typically be handled by third-party transportation logistics companies using transport trucks with standard van-style trailers. Mississauga in Central Ontario is the base for several such companies. Some of the highest-value goods transported in Northern Ontario include goods related to the transportation industry, and include, for example, heavy vehicles manufactured by Bombardier in Thunder Bay, or parts for manufacturing vehicles. While the number of trucks moving transportation-related goods is relatively small, the proportion measured by commodity value is quite significant. Wood products have a relatively low value per unit weight, such that the proportion of goods moved by value is lower than the proportion indicated by number of trucks. However, the proportion of metals and of minerals and related products transported in Northern Ontario is significant either in terms of trucks or commodity value. The value of scrap metal (waste and scrap commodity category) shipped to Essar Steel in Sault Ste. Marie for processing is also significant. OCTOBER 30,

37 Exhibit 2.12: Northern Ontario Truck Trip Origins by Commodity Type OCTOBER 30,

38 Exhibit 2.13: Northern Ontario Truck Trip Destinations by Commodity Type OCTOBER 30,

39 Exhibit 2.14: Northern Ontario Truck Commodity Value at Trip Origin by Commodity Type OCTOBER 30,

40 Exhibit 2.15: Northern Ontario Truck Commodity Value at Trip Destination by Commodity Type OCTOBER 30,

41 Origin-Destination Flows by Commodity Type Whereas the origins and destinations of goods by commodity type were discussed above, this section discusses the flows of these goods. The distribution of commodities in terms of number of trucks by trip flow type is summarized in chart form in Exhibit 2.16 and in table form in Exhibit Overall, empty trucks represent 40% of truck trips, although this varies greatly by the type of trip. As noted earlier, specialized vehicles for moving raw materials tend to return empty after transporting their load; these types of trips tend to involve shorter distances. The proportion of empty trucks is highest among internal Northern Ontario trips and trips from Northern Ontario, both with just over half of these trucks being empty. Among through trips, which travel very long distances and typically make use of more standard tractor-trailer vehicles and trailers, there are only 7% empty trucks. To bring further insight to the movement of empty trucks, Exhibit 2.18 shows the travel flows of empty vs. loaded trucks that use the Northern Ontario road network on the broader road network. Along the Trans-Canada routes and on Highways 11 and 400 between Northern Ontario and the GTA (the main routes for through trips using the Northern Ontario road network), loaded trucks predominate. Higher proportions of empty truck trips can be seen on other highways with a lower proportion of through trips. Exhibit 2.16: Northern Ontario Truck Flows by Commodity Type and Trip Origin-Destination Type A. Number of Trucks Internal Other from Northern ON Other to Northern ON Through TOTAL Weekly Truck Trips (Thousands) Agricultural Products Food Chemicals & Products Machinery & Electrical Manufactured Products Metals & Products Minerals Petroleum & Products Transportation Wood & Products Waste & Scrap Mixed, Mail, Unknown Empty B. Proportion of Truck Flows Internal Other from Northern ON Other to Northern ON Through TOTAL 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% % Weekly Truck Trips Agricultural Products Food Chemicals & Products Machinery & Electrical Manufactured Products Metals & Products Minerals Petroleum & Products Transportation Wood & Products Waste & Scrap Mixed, Mail, Unknown Empty OCTOBER 30,

42 Exhibit 2.17: Table of Northern Ontario Truck Flows by Commodity Type and Trip Origin-Destination Type Commodity Type Internal From Northern Ontario To Northern Ontario Through Trips Total Number of Trucks Agricultural Products Food ,191 2,752 Chemicals & Products ,501 Machinery & Electrical ,971 Manufactured Products ,522 Metals & Products 1, , ,039 Minerals 2, ,979 Petroleum & Products 2, ,951 Transportation ,016 Wood & Products 2,139 1,259 1, ,376 Waste & Scrap ,638 Mixed, Mail, Unknown 1, ,463 1,933 5,447 Empty 13,424 5,116 2, ,787 Total 25,762 9,590 10,880 7,526 53,759 Proportion of Trucks Agricultural Products Food Chemicals & Products Machinery & Electrical Manufactured Products Metals & Products Minerals Petroleum & Products Transportation Wood & Products Waste & Scrap Mixed, Mail, Unknown Empty Total OCTOBER 30,

43 Exhibit 2.18: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows: Loaded Trucks vs. Empty Trucks Kilometres OCTOBER 30,

44 Exhibit 2.19 shows the distribution of loaded trucks by commodity group on the Northern Ontario highway network. Based on flows detail on this exhibit, as well as the information in other exhibits in this section, the following travel characteristics by commodity type can be noted: The Northern Ontario highway network carries a remarkably wide variety of goods throughout the network; The most common commodity type carried, representing 10% of trucks and over 25% of through-trip trucks, are mixed or unknown goods carried by mail, less-than-truckload shipments, or mixed loads; the bulk of these are trips from Southern Ontario through to Western Canada; The second most common commodity type at 10% of trucks is wood and related products, given Northern Ontario s strong forestry and paper industries; there is significant movement of wood and wood products from the New Liskeard area south along the Highway 11 corridor toward the GTA, and also from various Northwest Ontario locations to the US; often concurrent with these loads of wood products are related waste/scrap loads; Trucks carrying minerals represent 7.4% of total truck trips, but over 9% for internal Northern Ontario trips, representing in large part goods related to the Northern Ontario mining industry; minerals are also imported to Northern Ontario from the US, especially in Northwestern Ontario via Pigeon River; Food products represent 5% of total trips, but a much larger 16% of through trips; Chemicals and chemical products total 3% of total trips and 5% of through trips; these are more likely to travel along Highways 400 and 17 than along Highway 11; and Manufactured products and machinery/electrical products each represent 7% of through-trips in Northern Ontario, and many of these are shipped from Southern Ontario to Western Canada. OCTOBER 30,

45 Exhibit 2.19: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows by Commodity Type A. Northwest Ontario Kilometres OCTOBER 30,

46 Exhibit 2.19: Weekly Commercial Vehicle Flows by Commodity Type (continued) B. Northeast Ontario Kilometres OCTOBER 30,