Freighthopping or train hopping is the act of surreptitiously hitching a rie on a railroad freight car. In the United States of America, this became a common means of transportation following the American Civil War as the railroads began pushing westward, especially among migrant workers who became known as 'hobos'. It continued to be widely used by those unable to afford other transportation, especially during times of widespread economic dislocation such as the Great Depression. Today, the practice is forbidden by statute in nearly all states.