Beginning with commercial transportation activity in both the U.S. and Canada, a pre/post-pandemic comparison shows a significant drop in overall activity after March 15. As of April 6, this means that on average, Canada is operating at 73 percent of normal commercial transportation activity, while the U.S. is operating at an average of 75 percent. In addition to the decrease in commercial transportation activity, trade activity has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well through an examination of borders and ports in the neighboring countries.
To that end, we’ve seen a drop in both border trips and wait times. When examining all Canada/U.S. border crossings for truck activity, the data suggests a drop in cross-border activity to 56 percent of normal commercial transportation volumes, when compared with typical operations from Feb. 1 to March 15, 2020.
Not surprisingly, airport activity has also seen a sharp decline. In examining the commercial transportation activity volume to and from select Canadian and U.S. airports, an analysis of four Canadian airports showed an average decrease in volume of 25 percent as of April 6, with Montreal’s Trudeau and Pearson International Airport in Toronto showing the largest drops in normal operations of 39 percent as of April 6. Of the eight airports analyzed, the U.S. commercial transportation activity to and from the airports saw an average decrease in volume of 40 percent, with McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas dropping to 38 percent of normal activity.
Finally, in analyzing port activity, Montreal, Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver ports have shown strong volumes with higher levels of variability over the last few weeks when compared to volumes from Feb. 1 to March 15, 2020. The data showed overall traffic at ports on March 27 was at 96 percent of the baseline.
Overall, the data compiled from the Geotab analysis shows a North American decline in commercial transportation activity due to COVID-19. The data also showed that the drop in volume of activity across the U.S.-Canada border and to-and-from select Canadian and U.S. airports has impacted commercial trade most. However, it’s interesting to note that activity to and from select sea ports has not seen a significant change from normal volumes when compared with pre-pandemic baseline data.
We believe this data can and should be combined with other data sets to support government response, fleets and the general public during this unprecedented time. To view the most up-to-date data available, and more insights on the impact of COVID-19 on congestion in cities, visit the Geotab blog.
