USDOT says more than 100 freight stakeholders joined its October 21 FLOW annual meeting to advance secure supply-chain data sharing and freight visibility.
USDOT reported the annual meeting on October 21
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on October 21, 2026 that it hosted the 2026 Freight Logistics Optimization Works annual meeting. The event focused on the department's FLOW initiative and brought public and private freight participants together to discuss supply-chain visibility and resilience.
More than 100 freight stakeholders participated
USDOT said the meeting included more than 100 stakeholders representing ocean carriers, railroads, trucking companies, chassis providers and major shippers. The agency did not publish a participant-by-participant roster in the release, so the figure should not be read as a count of carriers or trucking companies alone.
FLOW is a data-sharing initiative
The department describes FLOW as a platform for secure data sharing between supply-chain partners and USDOT. It is intended to give participating organizations better visibility into freight movement and incoming container demand so they can anticipate capacity needs and disruptions.
Truck data sit inside an intermodal system
Containers can move through ports, terminals, chassis pools, rail networks, warehouses and truck drayage before reaching a customer. A delay or demand surge at one link can change gate appointments, driver turns, equipment use and delivery timing elsewhere. FLOW's stated value is therefore network visibility rather than a stand-alone dispatch tool.
The release links FLOW to two broader initiatives
USDOT said the meeting built on the American Supply Chain Sovereignty Initiative and the 2026 National Freight Strategic Plan. Those programs describe broader freight policy and infrastructure goals. The annual meeting itself did not announce a new infrastructure award or change an existing commercial-vehicle rule.
USDOT emphasized the scale of daily freight
The release states that more than 54 million tons of goods worth $68 billion move through the U.S. freight network each day. Those are department-wide freight-network figures used to explain the importance of supply-chain coordination, not a measurement of FLOW cargo or daily trucking revenue.
Incoming container demand can inform capacity planning
Earlier visibility into expected imports can help participants compare future demand with terminal appointments, chassis availability, warehouse space, rail capacity and drayage resources. Whether an individual carrier receives actionable data depends on participation, permitted access and the data products available to that organization.
Secure sharing does not mean unrestricted public access
USDOT specifically characterizes FLOW as secure data sharing. The announcement does not say that every participant receives every partner's raw commercial information or that the public can download proprietary records. Users should follow the program's governance, access and confidentiality terms rather than assuming universal visibility.
The meeting was not a new mandate
USDOT's announcement does not create a reporting requirement for motor carriers, require ELD or telematics integration, amend FMCSA safety regulations or compel a company to join FLOW. Any later binding requirement would need its own legal authority and official publication or other applicable process.
The meeting was not a grant award
The release highlights collaboration and planning but does not award funds to the participants or announce a new application window. Carriers should distinguish a policy or data-sharing meeting from a Notice of Funding Opportunity, contract solicitation or project award.
Carriers still need lane-level operating evidence
Network visibility can support planning, but it does not replace current port conditions, terminal appointments, border or customs requirements, customer instructions, hours-of-service limits, legal routing, parking availability and cost analysis. Dispatch decisions should combine official operational sources with the carrier's own tender and trip data.
The National Freight Strategic Plan provides policy context
USDOT's 2026 plan describes federal freight priorities beyond FLOW. Readers evaluating the annual meeting should use the plan for the department's broader strategy and the October 21 release for the specific event. Neither source should be stretched into an unsupported rate, volume or capacity forecast.
Primary-source note
This report is based on USDOT's October 21, 2026 briefing-room release about the 2026 FLOW Annual Meeting and the department's 2026 National Freight Strategic Plan. CDL Truck Pro has not treated participation as mandatory, inferred access to private company data, or converted the department's national daily freight figures into estimates of truck counts, carrier revenue or future rates.
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Official sources
USDOT: Freight leaders meet for 2026 FLOW Annual MeetingUSDOT: 2026 National Freight Strategic PlanCDL Truck Pro provides educational information. Confirm licensing, safety, tax, and regulatory requirements through current official sources and qualified professionals.