Freight Facts and Figures 2010
Tables 5-7 and 5-7M. Fuel Consumption by Transportation Mode: 1980-2008
The number of gallons of fuel burned by commercial trucks increased significantly over the past 28 years. Between 1980 and 2008, the fuel consumed in highway freight transportation increased from 20 billion to nearly 37 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 miles traveled. Over the same period, fuel use in Class I freight railroads hovered around 3.9 billion gallons.
Table 5-7 (standard units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data
 |
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway | |||||
| Gasoline, diesel and other fuels (million gallons) | 114,960 | 130,755 | 162,555 | (R) 176,190 | 170,765 |
| Truck, total | 19,960 | 24,490 | 35,229 | (R) 38,589 | 36,703 |
| Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck | 6,923 | 8,357 | 9,563 | (R) 10,044 | 9,889 |
| Combination truck | 13,037 | 16,133 | 25,666 | (R) 28,545 | 26,814 |
| Truck (percent of total) | 17.4 | 18.7 | 21.7 | (R) 21.9 | 21.5 |
| Rail, Class I (in freight service) | |||||
| Distillate / diesel fuel (million gallons) | 3,904 | 3,115 | 3,700 | 4,062 | 3,886 |
| Water | |||||
| Residual fuel oil (million gallons) | 8,952 | 6,326 | 6,410 | 6,327 | 5,066 |
| Distillate / diesel fuel oil (million gallons) | 1,478 | 2,065 | 2,261 | 1,924 | 1,187 |
| Gasoline (million gallons) | 1,052 | 1,300 | 1,124 | 1,222 | 1,136 |
| Pipeline | |||||
| Natural gas (million cubic feet) | 634,622 | 659,816 | 642,210 | (R) 621,364 | 647,958 |
Key: R = revised.
Sources:
Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: annual issues), table VM-1, available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2008/ as of April 20, 2010.
Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: annual issues), p. 40.
Water: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2008 (Washington, DC: 2009), tables 2, 4, and similar tables in earlier editions.
Pipeline: U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Annual 2008 (Washington, DC: January 2010), table 15 and similar tables in earlier editions.
Table 5-7M (metric units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data
|
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway | |||||
| Gasoline, diesel and other fuels (million liters) | 435,125 | 494,909 | 615,273 | (R) 666,880 | 646,349 |
| Truck, total | 75,549 | 92,695 | 133,342 | (R) 146,061 | 138,922 |
| Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck | 26,204 | 31,631 | 36,196 | (R) 38,016 | 37,429 |
| Combination truck | 49,345 | 61,064 | 97,146 | (R) 108,045 | 101,493 |
| Truck (percent of total) | 17.4 | 18.7 | 21.7 | 21.9 | 21.5 |
| Rail, Class I (in freight service) | |||||
| Distillate / diesel fuel (million liters) | 14,777 | 11,790 | 14,005 | 15,375 | 14,709 |
| Water | |||||
| Residual fuel oil (million liters) | 33,883 | 23,944 | 24,262 | 23,948 | 19,174 |
| Distillate / diesel fuel oil (million liters) | 5,594 | 7,816 | 8,558 | 7,282 | 4,495 |
| Gasoline (million liters) | 3,982 | 4,921 | 4,254 | 4,624 | 4,301 |
| Pipeline | |||||
| Natural gas (million cubic meters) | 17,970 | 18,684 | 18,185 | (R) 17,595 | 18,348 |
Key: R = revised.
Notes:
1 liter = 0.2642 gallons; 1 cubic meter = 35.3147 cubic feet.
Sources:
Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: annual issues), table VM-1, available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2008/ as of April 20, 2010.
Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: annual issues), p. 40.
Water: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2008 (Washington, DC: 2009), tables 2, 4, and similar tables in earlier editions.
Pipeline: U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Annual 2008 (Washington, DC: January 2010), table 15 and similar tables in earlier editions.
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