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Figure 4-2. Productivity in Selected Transportation Industries: 1987-2004 (Output per Employee,1 Index, 1987 = 100)

In general, moving goods is cheaper now than in the past. Productivity has improved in both long-distance railroading and long-distance trucking over the past decade, but much more quickly in rail than road transportation. Between 1987 and 2004, output per hour worked more than doubled in line-haul railroading but grew only 55 percent in long distance, general freight trucking. Line-haul railroads primarily engage in operating railroads for the transport of passengers and/or cargo over a long distance within a rail network. These establishments do not include switching and terminal operations or short distance (or local) railroads. Long distance, general freight trucking establishments are operations other than those primarily engaged in local trucking and specialized trucking. Specialized trucking establishments are engaged in the transportation of freight that, because of size, weight, shape, or other inherent characteristics, requires specialized equipment, such as flatbeds, tankers, or refrigerated trailers.

See paragraph above and table below for explanation of Figure 4-2

Data represented in the figure
Table in Excel format

Output per hour worked 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Air transportation100101989696100104112118122123120121121113126139155
Line-haul railroads100108115119128140145150156167170173179194207224241248
General freight trucking, long-distance100101100104108114112115112111117116116119120125129128
Postal Service1009999104103105108108108106110112113116117117119121

1Based on the number of paid hours. Real gross domestic product 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 (NIPA), including the gross domestic product (GDP) measure, prepared by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Industry Productivity, available at http://www.bls.gov/ as of September 12, 2006.

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