Bureau of Transportation Statistics Announces Results of Commodity Flow Survey

Contact DOT 117-95 Elaine Matrigaii 202-366-5571 Carolee Bush 202-366-6946

Wednesday, June 21, 1995 -- The Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today announced the availability of preliminary results of a recently completed Commodity Flow Survey (CFS).

"The Commodity Flow Survey is the first comprehensive effort to determine where and how goods are shipped in the United States since 1977," Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña said. "Much has transpired since then -- deregulation, the North American Free Trade Agreement, growth of intercontinental trade, restructuring of the economy and growth of just-in-time delivery service -- to name a few. The time was right for such a survey and, today, the department is pleased to share the results."

The CFS represents a major partnership between DOT and the Department of Commerce's Bureau of the Census to determine the patterns of freight movements that affect transportation agencies, trade agencies and economic development planners at all levels of government, and of shippers and carriers in the private sector.

The CFS measured $6 trillion of goods weighing 9.9 billion tons shipped in 1993 by 800,000 business establishments, encompassing 2.5 trillion ton miles of movement. The totals are based on a sample of 12 million shipments from 200,000 establishments in manufacturing, wholesaling and selected other industries.

The tables released this week include preliminary tabulations of value, tons and ton miles of shipments by mode of transportation. The tables also break the totals down by commodity, distance shipped and size of shipment.

Dr. T. R. Lakshmanan, Director of the BTS said, "DOT and the Census Bureau will be releasing much more detailed information from the CFS later this year, including the flows of individual commodity groups between and within states, as well as flows among 89 economic regions."

Preliminary findings confirm the importance of parcel, postal and courier services that have emerged in recent years. These services carried 18 million tons of goods worth $564 billion, which accounts for about nine percent of the value of all shipments represented in the CFS.

The CFS also shows the importance of local transportation to the nation's commerce. Nearly 30 percent of the value and over 56 percent of the tons of all shipments represented by the CFS are between places. less than 50 miles apart. Over 38 percent of value and two-thirds of the weight -- 6.6 trillion tons -- are sent less than 100 miles. Of the $6 trillion of goods measured in the CFS, $1.8 trillion moved less than 50 miles and $2.3 trillion less than 100 miles.

"The CFS captures the diversity and changing nature of commodity transportation in America," Lakshmanan said. "The importance of each mode and intermodal combination to the individual regions of the nation will become apparent as the geographic detail is released later this year."

Copies of the preliminary results may be obtained by contacting John Fowler, Services Division, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. 20233 or by calling 301/457-2805 or 2114.