Freight Facts and Figures 2012
Table 3-2. Number of U.S. Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances: 1980-2009
A vast number of vehicles and vessels move goods over the transportation network. The number of commercial trucks has been relatively stable in recent years, while the number of rail freight cars declined with improved utilization and the deployment of larger cars.
Table in Excel format | Historical data
 |
1990 | 2000 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway1 | - | - | 254,403,081 | 255,917,664 | 254,212,610 |
| Truck, single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more | - | - | 8,116,672 | 8,288,046 | 8,356,097 |
| Truck, combination | - | - | 2,635,347 | 2,585,229 | 2,617,118 |
| Truck, total | - | - | 10,752,019 | 10,873,275 | 10,973,215 |
| Trucks as percent of all highway vehicles | - | - | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Rail | |||||
| Class I, locomotive | 18,835 | 20,028 | 24,143 | 24,003 | 24,045 |
| Class I, freight cars2 | 658,902 | 560,154 | 460,172 | 450,297 | 416,180 |
| Nonclass I freight cars2 | 103,527 | 132,448 | 120,463 | 109,487 | 108,233 |
| Car companies and shippers freight cars2 | 449,832 | 688,194 | 805,074 | 833,188 | 839,020 |
| Water | 39,445 | 41,354 | 40,695 | 40,301 | 40,109 |
| Nonself-propelled vessels3 | 31,209 | 33,152 | 31,654 | 31,238 | 31,008 |
| Self-propelled vessels4 | 8,236 | 8,202 | 9,041 | 9,063 | 9,101 |
1Based on a new methodology, FHWA revised its annual vehicle miles travelled, number of vehicles, and fuel economy data beginning with 2007. Information on the new methodology is available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics.cfm. Data in this table should not be compared to those in pre-2011 editions of Freight Facts and Figures.
2Beginning with 2001 data, Canadian-owned U.S. railroads are excluded. Canadian-owned U.S. railroads accounted for over 46,000 freight cars in 2000.
3Nonself-propelled vessels include dry-cargo barges, tank barges, and railroad-car floats.
4Self-propelled vessels include dry cargo, passenger, off-shore support, tankers, and towboats.
Sources:
Highway: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: annual issues), table VM-1, available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2009/ as of August 30, 2012.
Rail: Locomotive: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: annual issues).
Freight cars: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Equipment Report (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).
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