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Tables 3-4 and 3-4M: Number Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)and Vehicle Kilometers Traveled (VKT) of Trucks by Average Weight (Including Vehicle and Load)1

The average weight of heavy trucks (those over 10,000 pounds) using the road system diverged between 1987 and 1997. The number of light-heavy trucks (10,000 and 19,500 pounds) and heavy-heavy trucks (over 26,000 pounds) both grew by 40 percent over this period. At the same time, the number of medium-heavy trucks (19,501 to 26,000 pounds) declined by 5 percent. VMT grew in all weight classes, but showed the same general pattern with faster growth in the light-heavy and the heavy-heavy categories and slower growth in the medium-heavy category. The 60,000 to 80,000 pounds average weight category is the largest both in number of trucks and VMT because in most cases 80,000 pounds is the maximum allowed on the highway system.

Table 3-4 (standard units)
Table in Excel format

Average weight (pounds) 1987
Number (thousands)
1987
VMT (millions)
1992
Number (thousands)
1992
VMT (millions)
1997
Number (thousands)
1997
VMT (millions)
Percent change, 1987-1997
Number
Percent change, 1987-1997
VMT
Total3,62489,9724,008104,9874,701147,8733064
Light-heavy1,03010,7681,25914,0121,43619,8153984
Light-heavy
10,001 to 14,000
5255,4406948,00081911,50256111
Light-heavy
14,001 to 16,000
2422,7382822,9773163,9513144
Light-heavy
16,001 to 19,500
2632,5902823,0353014,3621568
Medium-heavy7667,5817328,14372910,129-534
Medium-heavy
19,501 to 26,000
7667,5817328,14372910,129-534
Heavy-heavy1,82971,6232,01782,8322,536117,9303965
Heavy-heavy
26,001 to 33,000
3775,4113875,6944287,0921331
Heavy-heavy
33,001 to 40,000
2094,1132335,2852576,5942360
Heavy-heavy
40,001 to 50,000
2927,6253399,62240013,0783772
Heavy-heavy
50,001 to 60,000
1887,1572278,69931112,6536677
Heavy-heavy
60,001 to 80,000
72345,43978151,0441,07074,7244864
Heavy-heavy
80,001 to 100,000
281,254331,529462,4276494
Heavy-heavy
100,001 to 130,000
844012734181,051129139
Heavy-heavy
130,001 or more
4185522763123469

1Excludes trucks with an average weight of 10,000 pounds or less or and light trucks (average weight of 4,536 kilograms or less).


Table 3-4M (metric units)
Table in Excel format

Average weight (kilograms) 1987
Number (thousands)
1987
VKT (millions)
1992
Number (thousands)
1992
VKT (millions)
1997
Number (thousands)
1997
VKT (millions)
Percent change, 1987-1997
Number
Percent change, 1987-1997
VKT
Total3,624144,7964,008168,9604,701237,9793064
Light-heavy1,03017,3291,25922,5511,43631,8893984
Light-heavy
4,536 to 6,350
5258,75469412,87581918,51056111
Light-heavy
6,351 to 7,257
2424,4072824,7913166,3593144
Light-heavy
7,258 to 8,845
2634,1682824,8853017,0201568
Medium-heavy76612,20073213,10472916,301-534
Medium-heavy
8,846 to 11,793
76612,20073213,10472916,301-534
Heavy-heavy1,829115,2662,017133,3052,536189,7893965
Heavy-heavy
11,794 to 14,969
3778,7083879,16342811,4131331
Heavy-heavy
14,969 to 18,144
2096,6192338,50525710,6122360
Heavy-heavy
18,144 to 22,680
29212,27133915,48540021,0473772
Heavy-heavy
22,680 to 27,216
18811,51822713,99931120,3626677
Heavy-heavy
27,216 to 36,287
72373,12778182,1471,070120,2564864
Heavy-heavy
36,288 to 45,359
282,018332,460463,9066494
Heavy-heavy
45,360 to 58,967
8708121,181181,691129139
Heavy-heavy
58,967 or more
4298536565023469

Notes: Weight includes the empty weight of the vehicle plus the average weight of the load carried; 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers; 1 pound = 0.45 kilogram.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey: United States (Washington, DC: 1999), available at http://www.census.gov/econ/www/viusmain.html as of July 1, 2004; U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 1992 Truck Inventory and Use Survey: United States (Washington, DC: 1995), available at http://www.census.gov/econ/www/viusmain.html as of July 1, 2004.

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