Canadian Freight Analysis Framework
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Correction Notice
On July 7, 2021, corrections were made to the 2017 trucking data, particularly data on shipments of automobiles and other transportation equipment from the Toronto census metropolitan area to the United States and Mexico. The values associated with these shipments were adjusted downward.
The Canadian Freight Analysis Framework (CFAF) integrates data from several sources to create a comprehensive picture of freight flows across the country by geography, commodity and mode of transport. The framework database estimates tonnage, value, and tonne-kilometers by origin and destination, by commodity type, and by mode. The database can be used in a variety of analyses including, for example, assessing highway capacity and forecasting traffic, evaluating investments in infrastructure, examining trade flows, and analyzing policies such as road pricing and multimodal freight programs. The data are provided in spreadsheet format for ease of use. A data dictionary in HTML format is also included to provide information on the variables available in the database. By referring to the CFAF dictionary, data users will gain a better understanding of the data.
The size of the sample for the for-hire trucking industry requires a methodology that includes a four-stage sampling design to adequately capture the population. As a result, data users should use caution when comparing year-over-year changes between commodity groups and/or detailed geography. Refer to Canadian Freight Analysis Framework for important information on survey methods and data use.
The data available in this publication are also available in table 23-10-0142.
Status: Ongoing/Available
Data tables
Reference period: 2011 to 2017 (XLSX | CSV)
| Field name | Data type | Length | Description/Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | character | 4 | Reference year |
| Mode | character | 2 | The mode by which the shipment(s) moved. AR = Air RL = Rail TF = Truck (for-hire) |
| SCTGGroup | character | 50 | The type of commodity shipped. Groupings based on the Standard Classification of Transported Goods (SCTG) 2-digit level. AGRI = Agricultural products (01, 02, 03, 04) FOOD = Food (05, 06, 07, 08, 09) MNRLS = Minerals (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) COAL = Coal (15) FUELS = Fuel oils and crude petroleum (16, 17, 18, 19) PLCHM = Plastic and chemical products (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) FRPAP = Forest products (25, 26, 27, 28, 29) BMETL = Base metals and articles of base metals (31, 32, 33) TRANS = Automobiles and other transportation equipment (36, 37) OTHMF = Other manufactured goods (30, 34, 35, 38, 39, 40) WASTE = Waste and scrap (41) MISC = Miscellaneous products (42) |
| OrigCMA | character | 3 | In Canada, the sub-provincial area (census agglomeration (CA), census metropolitan area (CMA), rest of province (ROP)) or province/territory which is the origin of the shipment(s). Outside Canada, the United States and Mexico are grouped and all other countries are grouped. 100 = Newfoundland and Labrador 110 = Prince Edward Island 130 = New Brunswick 160 = Yukon 161 = Northwest Territories 162 = Nunavut 170 = United States and Mexico 180 = Other international 200 = Rest of Nova Scotia 205 = Halifax 400 = Rest of Quebec 421 = Québec 462 = Montréal 500 = Rest of Ontario 532 = Oshawa 535 = Toronto 537 = Hamilton 559 = Windsor 600 = Rest of Manitoba 602 = Winnipeg 700 = Rest of Saskatchewan 725 = Saskatoon 800 = Rest of Alberta 825 = Calgary 835 = Edmonton 900 = Rest of British Columbia 933 = Vancouver |
| OrigProv | character | 2 | In Canada, the province or territory which is the origin of the shipment(s). Outside Canada, the United States and Mexico are grouped and all other countries are grouped.
NL = Newfoundland and Labrador PE = Prince Edward Island NS = Nova Scotia NB = New Brunswick QC = Quebec ON = Ontario MB = Manitoba SK = Saskatchewan AB = Alberta BC = British Columbia YT = Yukon NT = Northwest Territories NU = Nunavut UM = United States and Mexico OI = Other international |
| OrigCtry | character | 2 | The country which is the origin of the shipment(s). CA = Canada UM = United States and Mexico OI = Other international |
| DestCMA | character | 3 | In Canada, the sub-provincial area (census agglomeration (CA), census metropolitan area (CMA), rest of province (ROP)) or province/territory which is the destination of the shipment(s). Outside Canada, the United States and Mexico are grouped and all other countries are grouped. 100 = Newfoundland and Labrador 110 = Prince Edward Island 130 = New Brunswick 160 = Yukon 161 = Northwest Territories 162 = Nunavut 170 = United States and Mexico 180 = Rest of World 200 = Rest of Nova Scotia 205 = Halifax 400 = Rest of Quebec 421 = Québec 462 = Montréal 500 = Rest of Ontario 532 = Oshawa 535 = Toronto 537 = Hamilton 559 = Windsor 600 = Rest of Manitoba 602 = Winnipeg 700 = Rest of Saskatchewan 725 = Saskatoon 800 = Rest of Alberta 825 = Calgary 835 = Edmonton 900 = Rest of British Columbia 933 = Vancouver |
| DestProv | character | 2 | In Canada, the province or territory which is the destination of the shipment(s). Outside Canada, the United States and Mexico are grouped and all other countries are grouped.
NL = Newfoundland and Labrador PE = Prince Edward Island NS = Nova Scotia NB = New Brunswick QC = Quebec ON = Ontario MB = Manitoba SK = Saskatchewan AB = Alberta BC = British Columbia YT = Yukon NT = Northwest Territories NU = Nunavut UM = United States and Mexico OI = Other international |
| DestCtry | character | 2 | The country which is the destination of the shipment(s). CA = Canada UM = United States and Mexico OI = Other international |
| Shipments | numeric | 38 | The aggregate number of shipments transported. For air and truck, a shipment represents the movement of a single commodity from an origin to a destination. For rail this represents the number of cars. Blank cells contain data which have been suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. |
| Weight | numeric | 38 | The aggregate weight of the shipments, in kilograms (kg). Blank cells contain data which have been suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. |
| Revenue | numeric | 38 | The aggregate revenue that the carrier earned from transporting the shipments, in dollars. Blank cells contain data which have been suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. For rail the revenue value is based on attributing the revenue to the shipments based on tonne-kilometres of the shipment and the overall revenue without distinguishing carrier, geography and much commodity detail. The revenues are not specific to a market and should not be used as a benchmark. |
| Distance | numeric | 38 | The aggregate distance that the shipments were transported, in kilometres (km). Blank cells contain data which have been suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. |
| TonneKm | numeric | 38 | The weight of each shipment multiplied by the distance transported and then aggregated. Blank cells contain data which have been suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. |
| Value | numeric | 38 | The aggregate value of the shipments, in dollars. Blank cells contain data which have been suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act. |
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