Freight research is stronger when it starts with official sources and a clear understanding of what each source is good for.
NOAA and NWS are strong for weather and aviation observations. BTS is important for freight indicators, ports and national transportation data. Census trade data helps with import and export context. USACE is useful for waterborne commerce and lock information.
Not every official source is live. Some update weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. Check whether each source is current, historical or being used as a reference layer.
That distinction builds trust because the visitor can see where the information came from and how much weight to place on it.