Idaho Coverage Area
Service Centers
| Alpha | Number | City | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDF | 142 | Idaho Falls | |
| BOI | 143 | Boise | (208) 362-2235 |
With two service centers in Idaho, ArcBest® can move regional, national and international shipments with ease through our ABF Freight® network. We offer a variety of transportation and logistics solutions to meet your needs — from less-than-truckload and truckload to expedite and warehousing, all with online tracking capabilities. Call 800-610-5544 to find out more.
Business Opportunity in Idaho
Idaho is a blue-collar state with a job market dominated by agriculture and manufacturing. While famous for potato production and a rugged, mountainous landscape, the state is also known for having the farthest inland port on the West Coast. This creates access for shipping freight into international markets, which is an important feature for businesses looking to expand their reach.
Business and Economic Growth
Idaho has a growing economy and workforce, with the state’s industries creating more than 23,000 new jobs in 2016 — a 3.5 percent increase in employment growth from 2015, research shows. Additionally, the state has maintained a low cost of doing business and a low cost of living, and its energy rates are among the lowest in the country. These elements produce an environment that allows Idaho businesses to control their operating expenses and focus on improving their bottom line.
Top Industries
Idaho’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and manufacturing for the bulk of its revenue. It’s one of America’s most important states agriculturally as it produces about a third of the country’s potatoes and nearly 70 percent of the country’s trout. Cattle and dairy goods are among the other leading agricultural products. Agriculture and food processing provide more than 33,000 jobs.
Manufacturing is a thriving industry in Idaho with careers in the timber logging and forestry being popular career choices. Other popular manufacturing jobs are seen in the production of electronics and the mining of gemstones. The manufacturing industry accounts for almost 15 percent of the state’s private sector gross domestic product and employs 5.5 percent of the state’s workforce. The state’s manufacturers produced more than $8.14 billion in goods in 2014, nearly a 40 percent revenue increase in the span of 10 years. It’s estimated that the industry will grow another 11 percent in the next decade.
Another growing sector is the science and technology industry. A number of firms are either headquartered in the state or have facilities there. The state is also home to the Idaho National Laboratory, which is the largest Department of Energy research facility in the country.
Transportation Options in the Gem State
The network of roads, bridges, railways, airports and river ports in the state provides reliable means to move goods around the country and to international locations. There are more than 60,000 miles of roads, 1,623 miles of freight rail lines and 125 public airports across the state.
Idaho’s transportation system also contains the Port of Lewiston, a shipping hub located less than 500 river miles from the Pacific Ocean. The port provides warehousing and other services for containerized and break bulk cargo.