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Freight Facts and Figures 2012

Table 3-2. Number of U.S. Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances: 1980–2009 (Historical)

Table in Excel format

Blank cell. 1980 1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 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 Empty cell. Empty cell. Empty cell. Empty cell. 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 23,732 24,143 24,003 24,045
Class I, freight cars2 1,168,114 658,902 560,154 499,860 477,751 467,063 473,773 474,839 475,415 460,172 450,297 416,180
Non-class I freight cars2 102,161 103,527 132,448 125,470 130,590 124,580 120,169 120,195 120,688 120,463 109,487 108,233
Car companies and shippers freight cars2 440,552 449,832 688,194 688,806 691,329 687,337 693,978 (R) 721,488 (R) 765,147 805,074 833,188 839,020
Water 38,788 39,445 41,354 41,588 41,002 39,983 40,290 41,028 41,109 40,695 40,301 40,109
Nonself-propelled vessels3 31,662 31,209 33,152 33,042 32,381 31,335 31,296 32,052 32,211 31,654 31,238 31,008
Self-propelled vessels4 7,126 8,236 8,202 8,546 8,621 8,648 8,994 8,976 8,898 9,041 9,063 9,101

Key: R = revised

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 previous 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 October 5, 2011.

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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