BTS | Table 1-42: Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes

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Table 1-42: Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes

(Miles)

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	1960	1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Freight
Air carrier	953	943	1,014	1,082	1,052	1,157	1,389	1,346	1,391	^R1,347	^R1,221	^R1,160	^R1,181	^R1,077	^R1,078	1,001	U	U
Truck^a	272	259	263	286	363	366	391	398	410	407	392	416	426	435	^R442	458	U	U
Class I rail	461	503	515	541	616	665	726	751	763	794	817	843	842	851	835	835	843	U
Water
Coastwise	1,496	1,501	1,509	1,362	1,915	1,972	1,604	1,705	1,762	1,650	1,652	1,652	1,526	1,330	1,261	1,279	1,251	U
Lakewise	522	494	506	530	536	524	553	535	519	514	508	514	508	507	505	501	506	U
Internal	282	297	330	358	405	435	470	483	479	468	482	494	477	466	472	488	481	U
Intraport	U	U	U	16	17	15	13	13	12	12	16	16	17	15	15	15	16	U
Oil pipeline
Crude	325	320	300	633	871	777	^R812	^R822	^R830	^R790	^R778	^R797	779	^R781	^R767	766	U	U
Petroleum products	269	335	357	516	414	391	^R387	^R379	^R379	^R406	^R414	^R402	^R413	^R413	^R420	418	U	U
Passenger
Air carrier, domestic, scheduled	583	614	678	698	736	758	803	806	806	799	787	791	802	817	^R812	824	833	842
Bus, intercity	79	94	106	113	125	121	141	143	136	138	138	140	143	144	144	143	U	U
Commuter rail	21	21	22	23	23	24	22	23	23	22	21	24	24	23	^R23	23	U	U
Amtrak^b	N	N	N	236	216	231	273	284	285	281	271	268	257	256	252	248	U	U

KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised; U = data are not available.

^a Total Class I and Class II motor carriers of freight (less-than-truckload, specialized carrier for truckload, and others).

^b Amtrak began operations in 1971. Data are reported for fiscal years.

NOTES: Average length of haul for freight is calculated by dividing ton-miles in the previous table by estimates of tonnage from the various data sources. The calculation of average length of haul for passenger trips varies by mode: for air carrier it is calculated by dividing revenue passenger-miles by revenue passenger enplanements; for commuter rail, intercity bus, and Amtrak it is calculated by dividing passenger-miles by number of passengers.

SOURCES:

Freight:

Air carrier, truck:

Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation In America, 2000 (Washington, DC: 2001), p. 51.

Class I rail:

Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: 2001), p. 36.

Water:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States, Part 5 (New Orleans, LA: Annual issues), section 1, table 1-4

Oil pipeline:

1960-70: Transportation Policy Associates, Washington, DC, personal communication.

1975-99: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2000 (Washington, DC: 2001), p. 51.

Passenger:

Air carrier:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

Intercity bus and commuter rail:

Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2000 (Washington, DC: 2001), p. 50.

Amtrak:

1970-85: Amtrak, corporate communication, Jan. 26, 1999.

1990-99: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report (Washington, DC: 2000), Statistical Appendix, p. III.