Brief spatial analysis of origin-destination flows of road freight transport

Abstract

Based on data from the National Traffic Survey 2011, prepared by the Ministry of Transport, this paper proposes a spatial analysis of the flows of road freight transport, corresponding to about 65% of the total movement of the Brazilian transport matrix. The available database corresponds to an origin-destination matrix with empty and loaded trucks, allowing an analytical perspective in three scalar levels: national, macro-regional and mesoregional. Freight return, relation between production points and points of consumption, geographic position, nexuses and territorial arrangements and spatial selectivity are some variables that can be approached and discussed, contributing to reveal the use of the territory.