Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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2002 Commodity Flow Survey State Summary: Alabama

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Summary Value Weight
Total shipments originating in Alabama $ 127,727 (millions) 216,383 (thousand tons)
Percent of total U.S. shipments 1.5 1.9

Leading Commodity Shipments Originating in Alabama by Value

Commodity description (2 digit SCTG) Percent of value
Mixed freight (43) 9.4
Textiles, leather, and articles of textiles or leather (30) 8.0
Motorized and other vehicles, including parts (36) 7.9
Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils (07) 6.1
Base metal in primary or semifinished forms and in finished basic shapes (32) 5.4
Other commodities 63.2
Total 100.0

Leading Commodity Shipments Originating in Alabama by Weight

Commodity description (2 digit SCTG) Percent of weight
Nonmetallic mineral products (31) 11.5
Gravel and crushed stone (12) 9.9
Coal (15) 9.2
Wood products (26) 7.0
Gasoline and aviation turbine fuel (17) 5.9
Other commodities 56.5
Total 100.0

Outbound Shipments from the State of Alabama
Leading States by Value and Weight

State of destination Percent of value
Alabama 31.6
Georgia 11.6
Florida 5.7
Tennessee 5.3
Texas 5.2
Mississippi 4.6
Other states 36.0
Total 100.0

State of destination Percent of weight
Alabama 56.7
Georgia 9.3
Florida 5.4
Mississippi 4.4
Texas 3.3
Louisiana 3.2
Other states 17.7
Total 100.0

Inbound Shipments to the State of Alabama
Leading States by Value and Weight

State of origin Percent of value
Alabama 32.5
Georgia 8.6
Tennessee 7.8
Texas 5.1
Mississippi 4.2
Florida 3.5
Other states 38.3
Total 100.0

State of origin Percent of weight
Alabama 54.4
Wyoming 5.2
Georgia 4.6
Mississippi 3.3
Minnesota 1.8
Colorado 1.8
Other states 28.9
Total 100.0

Modes of Transportation for Shipments Originating in Alabama

Mode of transportation Percent of value Percent of weight
Truck (for-hire, private, and both private truck and for-hire truck) 79.5 70.4
Air (including truck and air) 1.0 S
Rail 9.0 22.7
Water (Great Lakes, deep draft and shallow draft) S S
Pipeline* S S
Multiple modes** 7.1 0.3
Parcel, U.S. Postal Service, or courier service 6.9 0.1
Other and unknown mode 3.0 4.3
Total 100.0 100.0

Domestic Distance Shipped for Commodities Originating in Alabama

Distance shipped Percent of value Percent of weight
Less than 50 miles 20.2 42.5
50 to 99 miles 10.8 9.8
100 to 249 miles 20.0 22.2
250 to 499 miles 20.0 12.2
500 to 749 miles 14.5 6.7
750 to 999 miles 6.4 3.3
1,000 to 1,499 miles 3.5 S
1,500 to 1,999 miles 3.5 1.4
2,000 miles or more 1.2 0.3
Total 100.0 100.0

* Estimate for pipelines excludes shipments of crude petroleum.
** Multiple modes inlcudes Parcel, U.S.P.S or Courier, Truck-Rail, Truck-Water, Rail-Water and Other multiple modes.

S Estimate does not meet publication standards because of high sampling variability or poor response quality.

– Represents data cell equal to zero or less than 1 unit of measure.

NOTE: Data are estimates based on a sample and subject to error. See table on the next page for reliability estimates.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 2002 Commodity Flow Survey data, March 2005.