Table 3-2: Number of U.S. Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances
A vast number of vehicles and vessels move goods over the transportation network. The number of commercial trucks climbed 37 percent between 1980 and 2003, but their share of the total highway vehicle fleet remained constant. The character of the commercial truck fleet has changed, however, as the number of combination trucks grew twice as fast as the number of single-unit trucks over this period, 59 percent versus 30 percent. In comparison, the number of rail freight cars declined since 1980 as newer cars typically have greater capacity than older ones.
Table in Excel format | Historical data
 |
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway | 161,490,159 | 193,057,376 | 225,821,241 | 236,760,033 |
| Truck, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more | 4,373,784 | 4,486,981 | 5,926,030 | 5,666,933 |
| Truck, combination | 1,416,869 | 1,708,895 | 2,096,619 | 2,245,085 |
| Truck, total | 5,790,653 | 6,195,876 | 8,022,649 | 7,912,018 |
| Trucks as percent of all highway vehicles | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.3 |
| Rail | |
|
|
|
| Class I, locomotive | 28,094 | 18,835 | 20,028 | 20,774 |
| Class I, freight cars1 | 1,168,114 | 658,902 | 560,154 | 467,063 |
| Nonclass I freight cars1 | 102,161 | 103,527 | 132,448 | 124,580 |
| Car companies and shippers freight cars1 | 440,552 | 449,832 | 688,194 | 687,337 |
| Water | 38,788 | 39,445 | 41,354 | 39,983 |
| Nonself-propelled vessels2 | 31,662 | 31,209 | 33,152 | 31,335 |
| Self-propelled vessels3 | 7,126 | 8,236 | 8,202 | 8,648 |
| Oceangoing steam and motor ships4 | 864 | 636 | 454 | 412 |
| US Flag fleet as percent of world fleet4 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
1Beginning with 2003 data, Canadian-owned U.S. railroads are excluded. This accounts for about 47,000 cars in 2000.
2Nonself-propelled vessels include dry-cargo barges, tank barges, and railroad-car floats.
3Self-propelled vessels include dry cargo, passenger, off-shore support, tankers, and towboats.
41,000 gross tons and over.
Sources: Highway: U.S.
Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway
Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues).
Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad
Facts 2004 (Washington, DC: 2004).
Water: Nonself-propelled vessels and self-propelled
vessels: U.S. Army, Corps of
Engineers, Waterborne Transportation Lines of the United States,
Volume 1, National Summaries (New Orleans, LA : Annual issues).
Oceangoing steam motor ships: U.S.
Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Merchant
Fleets of the World (Washington, DC: Annual issues).
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