Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Table 1a. Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation for the United States: 2002

[Estimates are based on data from the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey. Because of rounding, estimates may not be additive]

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Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles per shipment
2002
(million $)
Percent of total 2002
(thousands)
Percent of total 2002
(millions)
Percent of total
Total 8,397,210 100.0 11,667,919 100.0 3,137,898 100.0 546
Single modes 7,049,383 83.9 11,086,660 95.0 2,867,938 91.4 240
Truck2 6,235,001 74.3 7,842,836 67.2 1,255,908 40.0 173
For-hire truck 3,757,114 44.7 3,657,333 31.3 959,610 30.6 523
Private truck 2,445,288 29.1 4,149,658 35.6 291,114 9.3 64
Rail 310,884 3.7 1,873,884 16.1 1,261,612 40.2 807
Water 89,344 1.1 681,227 5.8 282,659 9.0 568
Shallow draft 57,467 0.7 458,577 3.9 211,501 6.7 450
Great Lakes 843 38,041 0.3 13,808 0.4 339
Deep draft 31,034 0.4 184,610 1.6 57,350 1.8 664
Air (incl truck and air) 264,959 3.2 3,760 5,835 0.2 1,919
Pipeline3 149,195 1.8 684,953 5.9 S S S
Multiple modes 1,079,185 12.9 216,686 1.9 225,715 7.2 895
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 987,746 11.8 25,513 0.2 19,004 0.6 894
Truck and rail 69,929 0.8 42,984 0.4 45,525 1.5 1,413
Truck and water 14,359 0.2 23,299 0.2 32,413 1.0 1,950
Rail and water 3,329 105,107 0.9 114,986 3.7 957
Other multiple modes 3,822 19,782 0.2 13,788 0.4 S
Other and unknown modes 268,642 3.2 364,573 3.1 44,245 1.4 130

KEY:
- Represents data cell equal to zero or less than 1 unit of measure.
S Estimate does not meet publication standards because of high sampling variability or poor response quality.

1 Ton-miles estimates are based on estimated distances traveled along a modeled transportation network. See the "Mileage Calculation" section for additional information.
2 "Truck" as a single mode includes shipment that were made by only private truck only for-hire truck, or a combination of private and for-hire truck.
3 Estimates for pipeline exclude shipments of crude petroleum.

NOTE: Value-of-shipment estimates have not been adjusted for price changes. Appendix B tables provide estimated measures of sampling variability. The Introduction and appendixes give information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, sample design, and definitions. Links to this information on the Internet may be found at www.census.gov/cfs.
Coverage for the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) differs from the previous surveys due to a change from the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification System to the 1997 North American Industry Classification System and other survey improvements. Therefore, data users are urged to use caution when comparing 2002 CFS estimates with estimates from prior years.

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (USDOT) and U.S. Census Bureau, 2002 Commodity Flow Survey, United States Data, December 2004.