Office of Operations Freight Management and Operations

Tables 5-9 and 5-9M. Combination Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel

In contrast to single-unit trucks, miles traveled per gallon by combination trucks changed very little over the past twenty years. Consequently, the gallons of fuel consumed doubled between 1980 and 2003 along with the number of miles traveled.

Table 5-9 (standard units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data

empty Cell 1980 1990 2000 2003
Number registered (thousands)1,4171,7092,0972,245
Vehicle-miles traveled (millions)68,67894,341135,020138,322
Fuel consumed (million gallons)13,03716,13325,66626,895
Average miles traveled per vehicle48,47255,20664,39961,611
Average miles traveled per gallon5.35.85.35.1
Average fuel consumed per vehicle (gallons)9,2019,44112,24111,980

Table 5-9M (metric units)
Table in Excel format

empty Cell 1980 1990 2000 2003
Number registered (thousands)1,4171,7092,0972,245
Vehicle-kilometers traveled (millions)110,527151,827217,294222,608
Fuel consumed (million liters)49,35061,07097,155101,809
Average kilometers traveled per vehicle78,00888,845103,64099,153
Average kilometers traveled per gallon2.22.52.22.2
Average fuel consumed per vehicle (liters)34,83135,73746,33945,347

Note: 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers; 1 gallon = 3.8 liters.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues).

You will need the Microsoft Excel Viewer to view the Excel files on this page.

Office of Operations