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Table 3-2: Number of U.S. Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances: 1980-2005 (Historical)

Table in Excel format

empty Cell 1980 1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Highway 161,490,159 193,057,376 225,821,241 235,331,381 234,624,135 236,760,033 (R) 243,010,550 247,421,120
Truck, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more 4,373,784 4,486,981 5,926,030 5,703,500 5,650,619 5,848,523 6,161,028 6,395,240
Truck, combination 1,416,869 1,708,895 2,096,619 2,154,174 2,276,661 1,908,365 2,010,335 2,086,759
Truck, total 5,790,653 6,195,876 8,022,649 7,857,674 7,927,280 7,756,888 8,171,363 8,481,999
Trucks as percent of all highway vehicles 3.6 3.2 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.4
Rail empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell empty Cell
Class I, locomotive 28,094 18,835 20,028 19,745 20,506 20,774 22,015 22,779
Class I, freight cars1 1,168,114 658,902 560,154 499,860 477,751 467,063 473,773 474,839
Nonclass I freight cars1 102,161 103,527 132,448 125,470 130,590 124,580 120,169 120,195
Car companies and shippers freight cars1 440,552 449,832 688,194 688,806 691,329 687,337 693,978 717,211
Water 38,788 39,445 41,354 41,588 41,002 39,983 40,290 41,028
Nonself-propelled vessels2 31,662 31,209 33,152 33,042 32,381 31,335 31,296 32,052
Self-propelled vessels3 7,126 8,236 8,202 8,546 8,621 8,648 8,994 8,976
Oceangoing steam and motor ships4 864 636 454 443 426 412 412 406
US Flag fleet as percent of world fleet4 3.5 2.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4

Key: R = revised.

1Beginning with 2001 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 (Washington, DC: annual issues).
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 and US Flag fleet: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics (Washington, DC: annual issues).

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