Funding source: Caltrans

Contract number: 65A0674 TO-022

Funding amount: $120,000

Performance period: 9/2/19 to 12/30/20

The Caltrans Freight Academy was conducted on December 1-3, 8, and 10, 2020. The Academy was designed and coordinated by the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Center for International Trade and Transportation (CITT) under Task Order 022 (Contract No. 65A0674) as part of its work for the Caltrans-supported Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center (UTC).

The early 2020 release of the California Freight Mobility Plan provided valuable context for this year's Academy. It underscored the role played by Caltrans in statewide freight planning and the need for department staff to remain on top of current trends and issues affecting the movement of freight throughout all parts of the State. In consultation with the Caltrans Office of Freight Planning, the Workforce Development Branch, and the Division of Research, Innovation, and System Information (which oversees Task Orders related to the UTC partners), CITT proposed two four-day, in-person trainings to be held in April 2020, but in the wake of COVID-19 Caltrans and CITT canceled the April classes. CITT proposed a modified training design building upon the same broad set of objectives but with a revised timeline allowing for curriculum modifications and course delivery by the end of calendar 2020.

The Academy consisted of presentations from goods movement professionals and subject matter experts, daily activities to supplement the instruction, and a final group presentation on regional freight issues using a web-based geospatial presentation platform. There were 88 participants that were divided into two groups with different study areas of focus: San Diego and Bakersfield. Each had a separate geographic focus and freight-related challenge: (San Diego Neo-bulk freight movement; Bakersfield agricultural freight).