Information & Education

Regional Overview

The Goods Movement Industry in the Bi-State Region

The New Jersey/New York multi-billion dollar goods movement, or logistics, industry is a tightly integrated network that moves over 100 million tons of cargo. That cargo feeds, clothes and meets the purchasing demands of the 100 million people who live within one day of the Port of New York and New Jersey.

Employment & Tax Revenues

• In 2004, goods movement was one of the key employers in the bi-state area;
  • More than 64,000 people are employed in trucking operations;
  • Warehousing and distribution centers employ over 380,000 people;
  • Over 26,000 are employed in the air cargo and water-based transportation of goods;
  • Freight transportation arrangement employs over 10,000.
• Employees and their employers generated over $5.8 billion in state and federal taxes.
  Goods movement:
  • Generated $12,568 million for port-region workers (33% higher than reported for 2000); and
  • Contributed state and local tax revenues totaling nearly $2.0 billion in the port region; and
  • Contributed $3.8 billion to federal tax coffers.

Tonnage by Transport Mode

• In 2004, the bi-state goods movement industry moved:
  • more than 100 million tons of cargo through the PoNYNJ waterways and terminals;
  • over 80 percent of that cargo by truck through the region;
  • nearly 17 percent of the cargo by rail, saving roads and reducing air pollution.
• Only 1% of those truck moves were containerized freight—the balance was second or subsequent moves from a warehouse or distribution facility to its next regional destination—a business, a store or your door.
• There are over 670 million square feet of industrial property in northern and central NJ alone, and 5 million new square feet are currently under construction.