Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
BTS Home > Publications > U.S. International Trade and Freight Transportation Trends > 2003
Printable Version

Figure 25
Advances in Transportation Technology and the Shrinking of “Real” Distance

Excel | CSV | Table Version

Figure 25 - Advances in Transportation Technology and the Shrinking of 'Real' Distance. If you are a user with a disability and cannot view this image, please call 800-853-1351 or email answers@bts.gov for further assistance.

  1500-1840 1850-1930 1950s 1960s-present
  Best average speed for horse-drawn coaches and sailing ships was 10 mph Steam locomotives averaged 65 mph and steamships averaged 36 mph Propeller aircraft able to fly 300-400 mph Large jet aircraft able to fly 500-700 mph
Infrastructure innovation Trunk canals Turnpike roads Railroads Ocean shipping Highways Airports/airlines Emergence of telecommunications
Vehicle innovation Horse-powered coaches Steam engines Steamships Railroad equipment Steel ships Aircraft Automobiles Combustion engines Trucks Tractors Jet engines Containerships Megaships Post-Panamax ships

SOURCE: Adapted from P. Dicken, Global Shift: Transforming the World Economy (New York, NY: The Guilford Press, 1998).

Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) • U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE • Washington, DC 20590 • 800-853-1351 • E-mail RITA

Accessibility | Disclaimer | Fast Lane | FedStats | Freedom of Information Act | No FEAR Act | OIG Hotline | Privacy Policy | RSS | USA.gov | White House | Wireless

Plug-ins: PDF Reader | Flash Player | Excel Viewer | PowerPoint Viewer | Word Viewer | WinZip

RITA's privacy policies and procedures do not necessarily apply to external web sites. We suggest contacting these sites directly for information on their data collection and distribution policies.