How to use the NASCO Site Selector

Jan. 13, 2003
Logistics Today's Site Selector offers an objective ranking of 328 U.S. cities based on criteria important to logistics professionals. This (customized

Logistics Today's Site Selector offers an objective ranking of 328 U.S. cities based on criteria important to logistics professionals.

This (customized listing)looks at the 25 cities and metropolitan areas located along the North American Superhighway Coalition's (NASCO) “NAFTA Superhighway,” which is made up of Interstates 35, 29 and 94 running from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.

The Site Selector matrix provides an overall ranking of each city within the NASCO region, as well as an indication of the city's national ranking. Other ranking categories include:

Transportation and distribution industry is based on businesses and employment base providing transportation, distribution, warehousing and related services.

Work force/labor is geared to existing and available logistics-related workers in the area.

Road infrastructure measures factors like available lane miles per capita, interstate highway access, miles of paved roads, etc.

Road density, congestion and safety ranks the city on traffic volumes and delays as well as accident statistics and other factors affecting the smooth flow of traffic.

Road condition draws on state performance and includes condition of highways and bridges, among other measures.

Interstate highway includes access to interstate highways, spending on highway construction and maintenance, etc.

Taxes and fees provides a measure of logistics-related costs, including highway and fuel taxes, inventory taxes (where present), etc.

Railroad offers a rank of access to Class 1 and other rail services, miles of track, etc.

Waterborne commerce includes ocean port capacity as well as inland waterways.

Air cargo ranks the city on its access to cargo services, including widebody passenger service by combination carriers, international and expedited services.

With the Site Selector users can find those metropolitan areas best suited to the character-istics of their transportation needs. For instance, a domestic shipper who is a heavy user of truckload and less-than-truckload carriers will put more weight on highway factors than air or water capacity. On the other hand, an importer in a time-sensitive market could be heavily dependent on air service and would want a location with a low number (high rank) in air cargo.

Rank within NASCO region National Rank Metropolitan Area T&D Industry Rank Work Force Labor Rank Road Infrastructure Rank Road Density Congestion and Safety Rank Road Condition Rank Interstate Highways Rank Taxes & Fees Rank Railroad Rank Waterborne Commerce Rank Air Cargo Rank
1 6 Minneapolis/St. Paul, 29 141 235 96 42 7 130 43 58 35
2 12 Kansas City, Mo./Kan. 22 43 108 219 248 11 121 113 46 23
3 13 Fort Worth/Arlington, 16 55 207 114 155 4 84 45 197 85
4 17 Dallas, Texas 10 49 240 191 155 4 84 45 197 9
5 22 San Antonio, Texas 37 14 167 257 155 24 84 45 197 50
6 34 Wichita, Kan. 57 42 81 61 110 114 277 90 197 60
7 39 Fargo, N.D/Moorhead, 59 93 309 63 32 85 84 58 197 148
8 43 Chicago, Ill. 24 129 253 203 168 2 303 26 20 18
9 45 Austin/San Marcos, T 60 25 172 227 155 160 84 45 197 28
10 49 Des Moines, Iowa 4 10 283 81 219 55 116 135 197 70
11 51 Gary, Ind. 13 54 257 217 90 3 168 65 35 282
12 57 Oklahoma City, Okla. 126 8 219 169 297 16 19 148 197 21
13 64 Detroit, Mich. 76 128 242 209 323 7 168 52 27 44
14 73 Duluth, Minn./Superior 116 276 160 57 77 125 206 97 14 191
15 84 Sioux Falls, S.D. 79 94 209 19 232 55 142 303 197 51
16 91 Davenport-Moline, Iow 65 163 69 280 185 24 241 62 197 120
17 95 Grand Forks, N.D. 151 256 313 30 32 160 84 58 197 139
18 108 Laredo, Texas 26 27 308 234 155 160 84 45 197 214
19 117 Omaha, Neb. 1 7 318 216 250 45 152 223 197 77
20 129 Waco, Texas 198 231 112 179 155 160 84 45 197 156
21 142 Sioux City, Iowa 56 15 269 123 239 125 139 190 197 215
22 173 Iowa City, Iowa 97 183 286 167 219 125 116 135 197 133
23 181 Kalamazoo/Battle Cre 196 272 59 78 323 125 168 52 197 209
24 222 Ann Arbor, Mich. 216 303 54 67 323 160 168 52 197 265
25 253 Jackson, Mich. 248 318 17 211 323 160 168 52 197 226