Office of Operations Freight Management and Operations

Freight Facts and Figures 2013

Figure 4-2. Productivity in Selected Transportation Industries: 1987-2011

Between 1987 and 2011, output-per-hour worked more than doubled in line-haul railroading. (Line-haul railroads do not include switching and terminal operations or short-distance/local railroads.) Long-distance, general-freight trucking grew by 39 percent over the same period. However, in recent years trucking has grown more rapidly. (Long-distance, general-freight trucking establishments exclude local trucking and truck operators that require specialized equipment, such as flatbeds, tankers, or refrigerated trailers.)

Figure 4-2

Figure 4-2. Line graph showing productivity in selected Transportation Industries:  1987-2011

[PDF 16KB]

Data represented in the figure.

Table in Excel format

(Output per Employee,1 Index: 1987 = 100)

Output per hour worked 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Air transportation (R) 100 100 91 90 94 100 89 97 103 107 107 104 117 123 119 131 143 159 171 193 202 221 214 209 209
Line-haul railroads  100 108 115 119 128 140 145 150 156 167 170 173 179 194 207 228 240 245 236 249 236 246 237 256 (R) 249
General freight trucking, long-distance  100 101 100 104 108 114 112 115 112 111 117 116 116 119 120 125 128 127 129 128 130 130 122 135 (R) 139
Postal Service 100 99 99 104 103 105 108 108 108 106 110 112 113 116 117 117 119 121 122 122 123 120 (R) 121 (R) 123 (R) 125

Key: R = revised.

1Based on the number of paid hours. Real gross domestic product (GDP) in the business and nonfarm business sectors is the basis of the output components of the productivity measures. These output components are based on and are consistent with the National Income and Product Accounts, including the GDP measure, prepared by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Notes:

In 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revised its data for air transportation output per hour worked to include both full-time and part-time workers. Prior to 2009, BLS assumed all air transportation workers were full-time employees.

Source:

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Industry Productivity, available at www.bls.gov/lpc/ as of October 2, 2013.

 


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