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Table 6a. Hazardous Material Shipment Characteristics by Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation: 2002

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

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Class 1, Explosives

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 7,901 100.0 5,000 100.0 1,568 100.0 651
Single modes 7,748 98.1 4,984 99.7 1,557 99.3 532
Truck 1 7,572 95.8 4,631 92.6 1,208 77.0 488
For– hire truck 6,171 78.1 1,551 31.0 836 53.3 890
Private truck 1,399 17.7 S S 372 23.7 120
Rail 97 1.2 352 7.0 347 22.1 929
Water – – – – – – –
Air (includes truck and air) S S 1 – 2 0.1 2,084
Pipeline 2 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 137 1.7 S S S S 835
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 137 1.7 S S S S 835
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 9

Class 2, Gases

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 73,932 100.0 213,358 100.0 37,262 100.0 95
Single modes 72,735 98.4 212,106 99.4 36,869 98.9 89
Truck 1 47,020 63.6 96,865 45.4 13,537 36.3 82
For– hire truck 21,860 29.6 29,359 13.8 6,786 18.2 486
Private truck 25,146 34.0 67,308 31.5 6,564 17.6 38
Rail 8,966 12.1 29,230 13.7 16,604 44.6 641
Water 1,719 2.3 7,133 3.3 1,754 4.7 243
Air (includes truck and air) 243 0.3 S S S S 1,450
Pipeline 2 14,787 20.0 78,857 37.0 S S S
Multiple modes 687 0.9 693 0.3 337 0.9 643
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 525 0.7 S S 8 – 627
Other multiple modes 162 0.2 665 0.3 329 0.9 S
Other and unknown modes 510 0.7 560 0.3 57 0.2 S

Class 3, Flammable Liquids

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 490,238 100.0 1,788,986 100.0 218,574 100.0 106
Single modes 480,024 97.9 1,760,755 98.4 206,688 94.6 75
Truck 1 296,653 60.5 948,619 53.0 67,730 31.0 64
For– hire truck 119,551 24.4 346,831 19.4 35,535 16.3 192
Private truck 174,126 35.5 594,277 33.2 31,468 14.4 32
Rail 12,558 2.6 36,083 2.0 24,738 11.3 699
Water 41,414 8.4 199,304 11.1 60,466 27.7 S
Air (includes truck and air) 96 – S S S S 2,382
Pipeline 2 129,303 26.4 576,739 32.2 S S S
Multiple modes 5,606 1.1 15,561 0.9 9,933 4.5 979
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 1,743 0.4 121 – 57 – 966
Other multiple modes 3,863 0.8 15,440 0.9 9,875 4.5 1,535
Other and unknown modes 4,608 0.9 12,671 0.7 S S 40

Class 4, Flammable Solids

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 6,566 100.0 11,300 100.0 4,391 100.0 158
Single modes 5,960 90.8 11,207 99.2 4,334 98.7 108
Truck 1 5,150 78.4 6,711 59.4 1,388 31.6 99
For– hire truck 2,448 37.3 4,626 40.9 1,193 27.2 247
Private truck 2,690 41.0 2,083 18.4 192 4.4 42
Rail 622 9.5 3,157 27.9 2,470 56.2 870
Water 16 0.3 1,263 11.2 S S 269
Air (includes truck and air) S S S S S S 1,987
Pipeline 2 S S S S S S S
Multiple modes S S S S S S S
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 150 2.3 7 – S S 411
Other multiple modes S S S S S S 3,924
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

Class 5, Oxidizers and organic peroxides

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 5,471 100.0 12,670 100.0 4,221 100.0 407
Single modes 5,332 97.5 12,300 97.1 4,011 95.0 363
Truck 1 4,587 83.8 9,870 77.9 2,710 64.2 353
For– hire truck 2,381 43.5 6,777 53.5 2,411 57.1 543
Private truck 2,198 40.2 3,037 24.0 280 6.6 68
Rail 743 13.6 2,430 19.2 1,300 30.8 631
Water – – – – – – –
Air (includes truck and air) S S – – S S 1,053
Pipeline 2 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 84 1.5 S S S S 1,136
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 1,172
Other multiple modes 74 1.3 S S S S S
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

Class 6, Toxic (poison)

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 8,275 100.0 8,459 100.0 4,254 100.0 626
Single modes 7,703 93.1 8,242 97.4 4,125 97.0 597
Truck 1 4,881 59.0 2,255 26.7 844 19.9 274
For– hire truck 3,702 44.7 1,762 20.8 774 18.2 525
Private truck 1,179 14.3 493 5.8 71 1.7 55
Rail 1,145 13.8 1,908 22.6 1,714 40.3 899
Water 962 11.6 2,325 27.5 S S 639
Air (includes truck and air) S S S S S S 1,893
Pipeline 2 S S 1,753 20.7 S S S
Multiple modes S S S S S S 826
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 97 1.2 S S S S 821
Other multiple modes S S S S S S 1,185
Other and unknown modes S S S S 38 0.9 S

Class 7, Radioactive materials

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 5,850 100.0 57 100.0 44 100.0 S
Single modes 5,410 92.5 52 92.3 38 87.7 S
Truck 1 5,367 91.7 52 91.0 37 84.5 S
For– hire truck 3,271 55.9 22 39.1 24 55.1 S
Private truck 2,096 35.8 29 51.9 S S S
Rail – – – – – – –
Water – – – – – – –
Air (includes truck and air) 43 0.7 1 1.2 1 3.2 1,912
Pipeline 2 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 440 7.5 4 7.3 5 12.1 1,185
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 440 7.5 4 7.3 5 12.1 1,185
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

Class 8, Corrosive materials

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
All modes 38,324 100.0 90,671 100.0 36,260 100.0 301
Single modes 36,990 96.5 88,852 98.0 34,824 96.0 262
Truck 1 31,819 83.0 51,385 56.7 15,798 43.6 201
For– hire truck 19,457 50.8 35,613 39.3 13,263 36.6 463
Private truck 12,206 31.8 15,714 17.3 2,506 6.9 73
Rail 3,962 10.3 23,949 26.4 15,606 43.0 649
Water 774 2.0 9,552 10.5 3,259 9.0 255
Air (includes truck and air) 165 0.4 S S S S 2,007
Pipeline 2 270 0.7 3,959 4.4 S S S
Multiple modes 887 2.3 1,072 1.2 1,187 3.3 698
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 623 1.6 S S S S 695
Other multiple modes 265 0.7 1,010 1.1 1,159 3.2 S
Other and unknown modes S S 747 0.8 249 0.7 318

Class 9, Miscellaneous dangerous goods

Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation Value Tons Ton–miles Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent 2002
(thousands)		 Percent 2002
(millions)		 Percent
               
All modes 23,625 100.0 61,018 100.0 20,153 100.0 368
Single modes 22,588 95.6 60,036 98.4 19,451 96.5 310
Truck 1 16,581 70.2 39,126 64.1 6,910 34.3 227
For– hire truck 10,961 46.4 22,961 37.6 4,289 21.3 297
Private truck 5,621 23.8 16,165 26.5 2,621 13.0 146
Rail 3,246 13.7 12,260 20.1 9,307 46.2 860
Water 1,972 8.3 8,619 14.1 3,204 15.9 476
Air (includes truck and air) 788 3.3 S S S S 2,268
Pipeline 2 S S S S S S S
Multiple modes 864 3.7 S S 688 3.4 750
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 544 2.3 3 – 3 – 731
Other multiple modes 320 1.4 S S 684 3.4 1,075
Other and unknown modes 173 0.7 S S S S 962

KEY:
– Represents and estimate equal to zero or less than 1 unit of measure.
S Estimate does not meet publication standards because of highly sampling variability or poor response quality.

1 "Truck" as a single mode includes shipments that were made by only private truck, only for– hire truck, or a combination of private and for– hire truck.

2 Estimates for pipeline exclude shipments of crude petroleum.

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