Freight Policy Transportation Institute

The Freight Policy Transportation Institute (FPTI) is focused on advancing freight transportation systems through improved efficiency, resiliency, safety, and sustainability. Our work informs public policy through the evaluation of freight competition, regulation, and system performance. We support operators through industry data reporting and decision support tools. We work across all freight industries including truck, rail, airline, pipeline, inland waterways, and ocean ports.

Work With Us

Our work is in collaboration with private and public organizations to advance transportation systems. We are data-focused, trained economists and transportation professionals with the capacity and expertise to deliver on your transportation project!

• Research: policy evaluation, benefit-cost analysis, market research
• Planning: feasibility assessments, infrastructure planning, estimated impacts, freight routing, truck parking
• Economic Impact Analysis: jobs, wages, revenues, and other targeted measures of community impact
• Applications and Tools: dashboards, decision support tools, data management solutions
• Services: survey design and implementation, GIS mapping

History

The Freight Policy Transportation Institute (FPTI) was established in 2009 by Professor Ken Casavant in the School of Economic Sciences at WSU.  The creation of this institute was the culmination of earlier efforts at WSU and a need expressed by stakeholders throughout the Pacific Northwest and policy makers in Olympia, WA and Washington DC.  Professor Ken Casavant completed his PhD at Washington State University in 1972 under the guidance of Professor James C. Nelson, a nationally recognized transportation economist and early proponent of de-regulation of transportation industries.  His book, “Regulation and Competition in Transportation: Selected Works of James C. Nelson” helped shaped much of the regulatory agencies at the federal level for truck, rail and airlines.  His career at WSU spanned from 1947 to 1975.

Professor Ken Casavant joined the WSU faculty in 1972 and continued the tradition of excellence within the realm of transportation economics, leading several national research efforts.  This included the Eastern Washington Intermodal Transportation study (1993-1998) and the Strategic Freight Transportation Analysis Study (2003-2009) and the creation of the Freight Policy Transportation Institute in 2009. 

Since 2016, Professor Eric Jessup has led the Freight Policy Transportation Institute. He has been at Washington State University since 2016 after spending two years as Vice President with the global commodities consulting firm Informa Economics, Inc., leading the Transportation, Industrials and Energy group. Prior to joining Informa, Dr. Jessup was Honorary Professor within the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität in Freiburg, Germany. His career has included both public and private sector experience in the U.S., Asia and Europe and he has successfully developed, obtained and managed large collaborative research projects over the past 25 years.