Executive Summary   September 2003 IFTWG Asset Tracking and “Freight Information Highway” FOT Final Report   ES-2 Oakland deployment, was selected to provide data concerning regional dray movements in combination with the accuracy and benefits of asset tracking.   Freight Information Highway. This portion of the project facilitated a method of communication between transportation modes (i.e., marine, truck, and rail) through a mix of “open source” message architecture from Transentric LLC and Internet communications software designed around interoperability standards. The FIH was designed to allow transportation providers and customers to communicate without changes to their proprietary systems. This project provided the opportunity to monitor intermodal data exchange via TranXML. TECHNICAL OVERVIEW Freight Information Highway The FIH served to integrate the third-generation Cargo*Mate^®  chassis tracking system with Web-based intermodal freight logistics applications to provide end-to-end cargo visibility over the defined life cycle of a cargo shipment. The primary goal of the FIH deployment was to consolidate mode-specific data exchange technologies and standards. Transentric accomplished this goal by developing a Transportation Extensible Mark-Up Language (TranXML) that facilitates Internet-based information exchange in the intermodal freight industry. TranXML supports application development advantages offered by XML without requiring significant changes in existing legacy systems by using existing data transfer standards and XML Data Dictionaries that permit data transformation between EDI and TranXML. In addition, TranXML is attempting to collapse certain modal-specific message sets into a common, intermodal message that would reduce transportation-related applications maintenance.   The FIH provided standardized information via the Transentric's ShipmentVision and Business Integration products. Figure ES-1 illustrates the project’s architecture. Illustration courtesy of Transentric Figure ES-1.  Freight Information Highway System Architecture.