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Freight Facts and Figures 2008 [PDF 65.6MB]

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I. THE NATION SERVED BY FREIGHT [PDF 4.0MB]

Tables

Table 1-1. Economic and Social Characteristics of the United States: 1980-2006

Table 1-2. Population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Region: 1980-2007

Figures

Figure 1-1. Economic and Population Projections: 2006-2016

CHAPTER II. FREIGHT TO BE MOVED AND TRADING PARTNERS [PDF 5.2MB]

Tables

Table 2-1. Weight of Shipments by Mode: 2002, 2007, and 2035

Table 2-2. Value of Shipments by Mode: 2002, 2007, and 2035

Table 2-3. Top Commodities: 2002

Table 2-4. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2002

Table 2-5. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Hazard Class: 2002

Table 2-6. Domestic Mode of Exports and Imports by Tonnage and Value: 2002 and 2035

Table 2-7. Top 25 Trading Partners of the United States in Merchandise Trade: 1998-2007

Table 2-8. Value and Tonnage of U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and Mexico by Transportation Mode: 1998-2007

Table 2-9. Value of U.S. Land Exports to and Imports from Canada and Mexico by Mode of Land Transportation: 1998-2007

Figures

Figure 2-1. Value of Merchandise Trade by Coasts and Borders: 1951-2007

Figure 2-2. U.S. International Merchandise Trade by Transportation Mode: 2006

CHAPTER III. THE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM [PDF 18.9MB]

Tables

Table 3-1. Miles of Infrastructure by Transportation Mode: 1980-2006

Table 3-2. Number of U.S. Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances: 1980-2006

Table 3-3. Trucks and Truck Miles by Average Weight: 1987-2002

Table 3-4. Commercial Vehicle Weight Enforcement Activities: 2005-2007

Table 3-5. Semitrailer Length Limitations on the National Truck Network by State: 2008

Table 3-6. Truck Miles by Products Carried: 2002

Table 3-7. Trucks, Truck Miles, and Average Distance by Range of Operations and Jurisdicton: 2002

Table 3-8. Maximum Posted Speed Limits on Rural Interstates: 2008

Table 3-9. Average Truck Speeds on Selected Interstate Highways: January-March 2008

Table 3-10. Top 25 Airports by Landed Weight of All-Cargo Operations: 2000-2006

Figures

Figure 3-1. Highway Vehicle Miles Traveled by Trucks and All Vehicles: 1980-2006

Figure 3-2. Highway Vehicle Miles Traveled by Vehicle Type: 2006

Figure 3-3. Permitted Longer Combination Vehicles on the National Highway System: 2008

Figure 3-4. Average Daily Long-Haul Truck Traffic on the National Highway System: 2002

Figure 3-5. Average Daily Long-Haul Truck Traffic on the National Highway System: 2035

Figure 3-6. Major Truck Routes on the National Highway System: 2002

Figure 3-7. Major Truck Routes on the National Highway System: 2035

Figure 3-8. Peak-Period Congestion on the National Highway System: 2002

Figure 3-9. Peak-Period Congestion on the National Highway System: 2035

Figure 3-10. Peak-Period Congestion on High-Volume Truck Portions of the National Highway System: 2002

Figure 3-11. Peak-Period Congestion on High-Volume Truck Portions of the National Highway System: 2035

Figure 3-12. Average Truck Speeds on Selected Interstate Highways: June 2007

Figure 3-13. Tonnage on Highways, Railroad, and Inland Waterways: 2002

Figure 3-14. Tonnage of Trailer-on-Flatcar and Container-on-Flatcar Rail Intermodal Moves by Weight: 2002

Figure 3-15. Top 25 Water Ports by Tonnage: 2006

Figure 3-16. Top 25 Water Ports by Containerized Cargo: 2007

Figure 3-17. Top 25 Foreign-Trade Gateways by Value: 2006

CHAPTER IV. THE FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY [PDF 3.5MB]

Tables

Table 4-1. Economic Characteristics of Transportation and Warehousing Establishments in Freight-Dominated Modes: 1997 and 2002

Table 4-2. Economic Characteristics of Freight Railroads: 2000 and 2006

Table 4-3. Employment in For-Hire Transportation Establishments Primarily Serving Freight: 1980-2007

Table 4-4. Employment in Selected Freight Transportation and Freight Transportation-Related Occupations: 2000-2007

Table 4-5. Producer Price Indices for Selected Transportation Services: 1990-2006

Figures

Figure 4-1. Value Added by Freight Transportation to U.S. Gross Domestic Product by Transportation Mode: 1992 and 1996

Figure 4-2. Productivity in Selected Transportation Industries: 1987-2006

CHAPTER V. SAFETY, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION [PDF 5.1MB]

Tables

Table 5-1. Fatalities by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2007

Table 5-2. Injured Persons by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2007

Table 5-3. Accidents by Freight Transportation Mode: 1980-2007

Table 5-4. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incidents: 1980-2007

Table 5-5. Commercial Motor Carrier Compliance Review Activity by Safety Rating: 2000-2007

Table 5-6. Roadside Safety Inspection Activity Summary by Inspection Type: 2000-2007

Table 5-7. Fuel Consumption by Transportation Mode: 1980-2006

Table 5-8. Single-Unit Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2006

Table 5-9. Combination Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2006

Table 5-10. Energy Intensities of Domestic Freight Transportation Modes: 1980-2006

Table 5-11. Estimated National Average Vehicle Emissions Rates of Heavy-Duty and Light-Duty Vehicles: 1990-2007

Table 5-12. Freight Nitrogen Oxides and Particulate Matter Emissions by Freight Transportation Mode: 2002

Table 5-13. Current and Projected Nitrogen Oxides Emissions by Freight Transportation Mode: 2002, 2010, and 2020

Table 5-14. Current and Projected Particulate Matter Emissions by Freight Transportation Mode: 2002, 2010, and 2020

Figures

Figure 5-1. Energy Consumption by Freight Transportation Mode: 2006

Figure 5-2. Monthly Diesel Prices: January 1998-July 2008

APPENDIX A. SELECTED METRIC DATA [PDF 18.1MB]

Tables

Table 2-1M. Weight of Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2002, 2007, and 2035

Table 2-3M. Top Commodities: 2002

Table 2-4M. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Transportation Mode: 2002

Table 2-5M. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Hazard Class: 2002

Table 2-6M. Domestic Mode of Exports and Imports by Tonnage and Value: 2002 and 2035

Table 2-8M. Value and Tonnage of U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and Mexico by Transportation Mode: 1998-2007

Table 3-1M. Kilometers of Infrastructure by Transportation Mode: 1980-2006

Table 3-3M. Trucks and Truck Kilometers by Average Weight: 1987-2002

Table 3-6M. Truck Kilometers by Products Carried: 2002

Table 3-7M. Trucks, Truck Kilometers, and Average Distance by Range of Operations and Jurisdiction: 2002

Table 3-10M. Top 25 Airports by Landed Weight of All-Cargo Operations: 2000-2006

Table 5-7M. Fuel Consumption by Transportation Mode: 1980-2006

Table 5-8M. Single-Unit Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2006

Table 5-9M. Combination-Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2006

Figure

Figure 2-2M. U.S. International Merchandise Trade by Transportation Mode: 2006

Technical Report Documentation Page

U.S. Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

Office of Freight Management and Operations
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

Phone: 202-366-9210
Fax: 202-366-3225
Web site: www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight

November 2008
FHWA-HOP-08-052

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