1997 Commodity Flow Survey Shows Increase in Freight Transportation

Contact DOT 226-98 Carolee Bush Media 202-366-6946 Felix Ammah Tagoe Technical 202-366-8926

Tuesday, December 22, 1998 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released preliminary results of the 1997 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS).

"These preliminary results confirm the importance of local transportation to the economy," said BTS Director Dr. Ashish Sen. "We also see continued growth in parcel and courier services, and the increased use of multiple modes of transportation by American businesses to ship goods and materials."

In 1997, over 30 percent of the value and 57 percent of the tons of shipments measured in the CFS moved between places less than 50 miles apart. Shipments by parcel, the U.S. postal service and courier services increased over 1993 by about 53 percent when measured by value and 31 percent by tons. Shipments delivered by more than one transportation mode increased 44 percent by value and 17 percent by tons.

According to the survey, U.S. manufacturing, mining, wholesale and retail businesses shipped over 11 million tons of raw materials and finished goods with an estimated value of more than $7.6 trillion. The U.S. transportation system also moved substantially more freight, over 2.8 trillion ton-miles, in 1997 compared to 1993 reflecting a continuation in U.S. economic growth.

The 1997 CFS preliminary report released jointly today by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the Bureau of the Census shows that between 1993 and 1997 freight shipments included in the CFS increased by about 30 percent in value, 19 percent in tonnage and 16 percent in ton-miles.

The Commodity Flow Survey is a compilation of data which illustrates various transportation modes American businesses use to transport commodities in the United States.

The survey measures the value, weight, types of commodities shipped, the point of origin and destination of shipments.

Dr. Sen said DOT and the Census Bureau will be releasing more detailed information from the CFS beginning next Fall which will include commodities transportation data from state and metropolitan areas as well.

Transportation experts at BTS are conducting additional analysis of the CFS data and will release a more comprehensive report in January 1999. The additional analysis will supplement the CFS data with information on crude oil shipments and other goods not fully captured in the CFS.

It will present more interpretive discussion of the data and will show how the freight trends measured in the CFS relate to the rest of the U.S. economy.

Estimates from the 1997 Commodity Flow Survey are subject to sampling and non-sampling error. Measures of sampling variability presented as coefficients of variation and standard errors are shown in the tables of the report. Sources of non-sampling error include errors of response, non-reporting and coverage.