Freight Facts and Figures 2008
Tables 5-7 and 5-7M. Fuel Consumption by Transportation Mode: 1980-2006
The number of gallons of fuel burned by commercial trucks increased significantly over the past 26 years. Between 1980 and 2006, the fuel consumed in highway freight transportation increased from 20 billion to 38 billion gallons annually. This is due to a substantial increase in the number of trucks on the road, an increase in the average number of miles traveled per truck, and a doubling of truck miles traveled. Over the same period, fuel use in Class I freight railroads increased slightly from 3.9 billion gallons to 4.2 billion gallons.
Table 5-7 (standard units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data
 |
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway | |||||
| Gasoline, diesel and other fuels (million gallons) | 114,960 | 130,755 | 162,555 | (R) 174,787 | 174,930 |
| Truck, total | 19,960 | 24,490 | 35,229 | (R) 37,190 | 37,918 |
| Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck | 6,923 | 8,357 | 9,563 | (R) 9,501 | 9,843 |
| Combination truck | 13,037 | 16,133 | 25,666 | (R) 27,689 | 28,075 |
| Truck (percent of total) | 17.4 | 18.7 | 21.7 | (R) 21.3 | 21.7 |
| Rail, Class I (in freight service) | |||||
| Distillate / diesel fuel (million gallons) | 3,904 | 3,115 | 3,700 | 4,098 | 4,192 |
| Water | |||||
| Residual fuel oil (million gallons) | 8,952 | 6,326 | 6,410 | 5,179 | 5,754 |
| Distillate / diesel fuel oil (million gallons) | 1,478 | 2,065 | 2,261 | 2,006 | 1,903 |
| Gasoline (million gallons) | 1,052 | 1,300 | 1,124 | 1,261 | 1,237 |
| Pipeline | |||||
| Natural gas (million cubic feet) | 634,622 | 659,816 | 642,210 | (R) 584,026 | 584,497 |
Key: R = revised.
Sources:
Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2006 (Washington, DC: 2006), table VM-1 and similar tables in earlier editions.
Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: annual issues), p. 40.
Water: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2006 (Washington, DC: 2007), tables 2, 4, and similar tables in earlier editions.
Pipeline: U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Annual 2006, DOE/EIA-0131(04) (Washington, DC: January 2008), table 15 and similar tables in earlier editions.
Table 5-7M (metric units)
Table in Excel format | Historical data
|
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway | |||||
| Gasoline, diesel and other fuels (million liters) | 436,848.0 | 496,869.0 | 617,709.0 | (R) 664,190.6 | 664,734.0 |
| Truck, total | 75,848.0 | 93,062.0 | 133,870.2 | (R) 141,322.0 | 144,088.4 |
| Single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck | 26,307.4 | 31,756.6 | 36,339.4 | (R) 36,103.8 | 37,403.4 |
| Combination truck | 49,540.6 | 61,305.4 | 97,530.8 | (R) 105,218.2 | 106,685.0 |
| Truck (percent of total) | 17.4 | 18.7 | 21.7 | (R) 21.3 | 21.7 |
| Rail, Class I (in freight service) | |||||
| Distillate / diesel fuel (million liters) | 14,835.2 | 11,837.0 | 14,060.0 | 15,572.4 | 15,929.6 |
| Water | |||||
| Residual fuel oil (million liters) | 34,017.6 | 24,038.8 | 24,358.0 | 19,680.2 | 21,865.2 |
| Distillate / diesel fuel oil (million liters) | 5,616.4 | 7,847.0 | 8,591.8 | 7,622.8 | 7,231.4 |
| Gasoline (million liters) | 3,997.6 | 4,940.0 | 4,271.2 | 4,791.8 | 4,700.6 |
| Pipeline | |||||
| Natural gas (million cubic meters) | 19,038.7 | 19,794.5 | 19,266.3 | (R) 17,520.8 | 17,534.9 |
Key: R = revised.
Notes:
1 liter = 0.3 gallons; 1 cubic meter = 33.3 cubic feet. Table 5-7M was updated in January 2009 and differs from the print version published November 2008.
Sources:
Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2006 (Washington, DC: 2006), table VM-1 and similar tables in earlier editions.
Rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: annual issues), p. 40.
Water: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2006 (Washington, DC: 2007), tables 2, 4, and similar tables in earlier editions.
Pipeline: U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Annual 2006, DOE/EIA-0131(04) (Washington, DC: January 2008), table 15 and similar tables in earlier editions.
To view Excel files, you can use the Microsoft Excel Viewer.
