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Freight Facts and Figures 2010 [PDF 87.5MB]

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I. THE NATION SERVED BY FREIGHT [PDF 2.2MB]

Tables

Table 1-1. Economic and Social Characteristics of the United States: 1980-2008

Table 1-2. Population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Region: 1980-2008

Figure

Figure 1-1. Economic and Population Projections: 2008-2018

CHAPTER II. FREIGHT TO BE MOVED AND TRADING PARTNERS [PDF 4.3MB]

Tables

Table 2-1. Weight of Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2007, 2009, and 2040

Table 2-2. Value of Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2007, 2009, and 2040

Table 2-3. Top Commodities: 2007

Table 2-4. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2007

Table 2-5. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Hazard Class: 2007

Table 2-6. Domestic Mode of Exports and Imports by Tonnage and Value: 2007 and 2040

Table 2-7. Top 25 Trading Partners of the United States in Merchandise Trade: 1999-2009

Table 2-8. Value and Tonnage of U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and Mexico by Transportation Mode: 1999-2009

Table 2-9. Value of U.S. Exports to and Imports from Canada and Mexico by Land Transportation Mode: 1999-2009

Figures

Figure 2-1. Value of Merchandise Trade by Coasts and Borders: 1951-2009

Figure 2-2. U.S. International Merchandise Trade by Transportation Mode: 2009

CHAPTER III. THE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM [PDF 29.4MB]

Tables

Table 3-1. Miles of Infrastructure by Transportation Mode: 1980-2008

Table 3-2. Number of U.S. Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances: 1980-2008

Table 3-3. Trucks and Truck Miles by Average Weight: 1987-2002

Table 3-4. Commercial Vehicle Weight Enforcement Activities: 2005-2009

Table 3-5. Annual Vehicle Distance Traveled by Highway Category and Vehicle Type: 2008

Table 3-6. Trucks, Truck Miles, and Average Distance by Range of Operations and Jurisdiction: 2002

Table 3-7. Truck Miles by Products Carried: 2002

Table 3-8. Average Truck Speeds on Selected Interstate Highways: 2009

Table 3-9. Maximum Posted Speed Limits on Rural Interstates: 2010

Table 3-10. Top 25 Airports by Landed Weight of All-Cargo Operations: 2000-2008

Figures

Figure 3-1. Highway Vehicle Miles Traveled by Trucks and All Vehicles: 1980-2008

Figure 3-2. Share of Highway Vehicle Miles Traveled by Vehicle Type: 2008

Figure 3-3. National Network for Conventional Combination Trucks: 2009

Figure 3-4. Permitted Longer Combination Vehicles on the National Highway System: 2009

Figure 3-5. Average Daily Long-Haul Truck Traffic on the National Highway System: 2007

Figure 3-6. Average Daily Long-Haul Truck Traffic on the National Highway System: 2040

Figure 3-7. Major Truck Routes on the National Highway System: 2007

Figure 3-8. Major Truck Routes on the National Highway System: 2040

Figure 3-9. Peak-Period Congestion on the National Highway System: 2007

Figure 3-10. Peak-Period Congestion on the National Highway System: 2040

Figure 3-11. Peak-Period Congestion on High-Volume Truck Portions of the National Highway System: 2007

Figure 3-12. Peak-Period Congestion on High-Volume Truck Portions of the National Highway System: 2040

Figure 3-13. Average Truck Speeds on Selected Interstate Highways: 2009

Figure 3-14. Tonnage on Highways, Railroad, and Inland Waterways: 2007

Figure 3-15. Tonnage of Trailer-on-Flatcar and Container-on-Flatcar Rail Intermodal Moves: 2008

Figure 3-16. Top 25 Water Ports by Tonnage: 2008

Figure 3-17. Top 25 Water Ports by Containerized Cargo: 2009

Figure 3-18. Top 25 Foreign-Trade Freight Gateways by Value: 2008

CHAPTER IV. THE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY [PDF 5.2MB]

Tables

Table 4-1. Economic Characteristics of Transportation and Warehousing Establishments in Freight-Dominated Modes: 2002 and 2007

Table 4-2. Economic Characteristics of Freight Railroads: 2000 and 2008

Table 4-3. Employment in For-Hire Transportation Establishments Primarily Serving Freight: 1980-2009

Table 4-4. Employment in Selected Freight Transportation and Freight Transportation-Related Occupations: 2000-2009

Table 4-5. Producer Price Indices for Selected Transportation Services: 1990-2008

Figures

Figure 4-1. Value Added by Freight Transportation to U.S. Gross Domestic Product by Transportation Mode: 1992 and 1996

Figure 4-2. Productivity in Selected Transportation Industries: 1987-2008

CHAPTER V. SAFETY, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION [PDF 8.5MB]

Tables

Table 5-1. Fatalities by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2009

Table 5-2. Injured Persons by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2009

Table 5-3. Accidents by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2009

Table 5-4. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents: 1980-2009

Table 5-5. Commercial Motor Carrier Compliance Review Activity by Safety Rating: 2000-2009

Table 5-6. Roadside Safety Inspection Activity Summary by Inspection Type: 2000-2009

Table 5-7. Fuel Consumption by Transportation Mode: 1980-2008

Table 5-8. Single-Unit Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2008

Table 5-9. Combination Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2008

Table 5-10. Energy Intensities of Domestic Freight Transportation Modes: 1980-2008

Table 5-11. Estimated National Average Vehicle Emissions Rates of Heavy-Duty and Light-Duty Vehicles: 1990-2009

Table 5-12. Freight Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x) and Particulate Matter (PM-10) Emissions by Freight Transportation Mode: 2002

Table 5-13. Current and Projected Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x) Emissions by Freight Transportation Mode: 2002, 2010, and 2020

Table 5-14. Current and Projected Particulate Matter (PM-10) Emissions by Freight Transportation Mode: 2002, 2010, and 2020

Table 5-15. U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Economic End-Use Sector: 1990-2008

Table 5-16. U.S. Transportation Sector Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Emissions from Fossil Fuel Combustion by Fuel Type: 1990-2008

Table 5-17. U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Domestic Freight Transportation: 1990-2008

Table 5-18. Medium- and Heavy-Duty Truck Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 1990-2008

Figures

Figure 5-1. Share of Energy Consumption by Freight Transportation Mode: 2008

Figure 5-2. Monthly Diesel Prices: January 1999-June 2010

APPENDIX A. SELECTED METRIC DATA [PDF 21.4MB]

Tables

Table 2-1M. Weight of Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2007, 2009, and 2040

Table 2-3M. Top Commodities: 2007

Table 2-4M. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2007

Table 2-5M. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Hazard Class: 2007

Table 2-6M. Domestic Mode of Exports and Imports by Tonnage and Value: 2007 and 2040

Table 2-8M. Value and Tonnage of U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and Mexico by Transportation Mode: 1999-2009

Table 3-1M. Kilometers of Infrastructure by Transportation Mode: 1980-2008

Table 3-3M. Trucks and Truck Kilometers by Average Weight: 1987-2002

Table 3-6M. Trucks, Truck Kilometers, and Average Distance by Range of Operations and Jurisdiction: 2002

Table 3-7M. Truck Kilometers by Products Carried: 2002

Table 3-10M. Top 25 Airports by Landed Weight of All-Cargo Operations: 2000-2008

Table 5-7M. Fuel Consumption by Transportation Mode: 1980-2008

Table 5-8M. Single-Unit Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2008

Table 5-9M. Combination Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2008

Figure

Figure 2-2M. U.S. International Merchandise Trade by Transportation Mode: 2009

Technical Report Documentation Page

U.S. Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

Office of Freight Management and Operations
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Phone: 202-366-9210
Fax: 202-366-3225
Web site: www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight

November 2010

FHWA-HOP-10-058

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