Table 5-7 and 5-7M: Fuel Consumption by Transportation Mode

The number of gallons of fuel burned by commercial trucks nearly doubled over the past twenty years, while fuel use in several other modes declined. Between 1980 and 2004, the fuel consumed in highway freight transportation increased from 20 billion to 34 billion gallons annually. This is due to a substantial increase in the number of trucks on the road, an increase in the average number of miles traveled per truck, and a doubling of truck vmt. Over the same period, fuel use in Class I freight rail increased marginally from 3.9 to 4.1 billion gallons.

Table 5-7 (standard units)

Table in Excel format | Historical data

	1980	1990	2000	2003	2004
Highway
Gasoline, diesel and other fuels (million gallons)	114,960	130,755	162,555	(R) 170,069	173,750
Truck, total	19,960	24,490	35,229	(R) 32,696	33,968
Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck	6,923	8,357	9,563	(R) 8,880	9,263
Combination truck	13,037	16,133	25,666	(R) 23,815	24,705
Truck (percent of total)	17.4	18.7	21.7	(R) 19.2	19.6
Rail, Class I (in freight service)
Distillate / diesel fuel (million gallons)	3,904	3,115	3,700	3,826	4,059
Water
Residual fuel oil (million gallons)	8,952	6,326	6,410	3,874	4,690
Distillate / diesel fuel oil (million gallons)	1,478	2,065	2,261	2,217	2,140
Gasoline (million gallons)	1,052	1,300	1,124	1,107	1,005
Pipeline
Natural gas (million cubic feet)	634,622	659,816	642,210	(R) 591,492	571,853

Key: R = revised.

Sources: Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2004 (Washington, DC: 2005), table VM-1 and similar tables in earlier editions.

Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: November 2005), p. 40.

Water: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2004 (Washington, DC: 2005), tables 2, 4, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Pipeline: U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Annual 2004, DOE/EIA-0131(02) (Washington, DC: December 2005), table 15 and similar tables in earlier editions.

Table 5-7M (metric units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data

	1980	1990	2000	2003	2004
Highway
Gasoline, diesel and other fuels (million gallons)	435,171	494,962	615,338	(R) 643,781	657,715
Truck, total	75,557	92,705	133,356	(R) 123,737	128,585
Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck	26,206	31,635	36,200	(R) 33,616	35,064
Combination truck	49,350	61,070	97,156	(R) 90,120	93,520
Truck (percent of total)	17.4	18.7	21.7	(R) 19.2	19.6
Rail, Class I (in freight service)
Distillate / diesel fuel (million liters)	14,778	11,792	14,006	14,483	15,365
Water
Residual fuel oil (million liters)	33,887	23,947	24,264	14,665	17,754
Distillate / diesel fuel oil (million liters)	5,595	7,817	8,559	8,392	8,101
Gasoline (million liters)	3,982	4,921	4,255	4,192	3,804
Pipeline
Natural gas (million cubic meters)	17,970	18,684	18,185	(R) 16,749	16,193

Key: R = revised.

Notes: 1 gallon = 3.8 liters; 1 cubic foot = 0.03 cubic meters.

Sources: Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2004 (Washington, DC: 2005), table VM-1 and similar tables in earlier editions.

Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: November 2005), p. 40.

Water: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2004 (Washington, DC: 2005), tables 2, 4, and similar tables in earlier editions.

Pipeline: U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Annual 2004, DOE/EIA-0131(02) (Washington, DC: December 2005), table 15 and similar tables in earlier editions.