Freight Facts and Figures 2013

Introduction

This tenth edition of Freight Facts and Figures was developed collaboratively by the Federal Highway Administration and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. It provides a snapshot of the volume and value of freight flows in the United States, the physical network over which freight moves, the economic conditions that generate freight movements, the industry that carries freight, and the safety, energy, and environmental implications of freight transportation. This snapshot helps decision makers, planners, and the public understand the magnitude and importance of freight transportation to the economy. An electronic version of this publication is available at freight.dot.gov.

Chapter 1 summarizes the basic demographic and economic characteristics of the United States that contribute to the demand for raw materials, intermediate goods, and finished products. Chapter 2 identifies the freight that is moved and highlights international trade. Chapter 3 describes the freight transportation system; volumes of freight moving over the system; the amount of highway, air, rail, port, and pipeline activities required to move the freight; and the performance of the system. Chapter 4 focuses on the economic characteristics of the transportation industry that operates the system. Chapter 5 covers the safety aspects, energy consumption, and environmental implications of freight transportation.

Several of the tables and figures in this report are based on the Economic Census, which is conducted once every five years. The most recently published data are for 2007, except for the Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey, which was last conducted in 2002.

Many of the tables and figures are based on the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF), version 3, which builds on the Commodity Flow Survey to estimate all freight flows to, from, and within the United States except shipments between foreign countries that are transported through the United States. Shipments to and from Puerto Rico are counted with Latin America.

The FAF covers all modes of transportation. The truck, rail, water, and pipeline categories include shipments transported by only one mode. Air includes shipments weighing more than 100 pounds moved by air or by air and truck. The multiple modes and mail category includes all other shipments transported by more than one mode, such as bulk products moved by rail and water and mixed cargo hauled by truck and rail. The multiple modes and mail category also includes small shipments sent via postal and courier services. The other and unknown category is primarily unidentified modes but includes miscellaneous categories, such as aircraft delivered to customers and shipments through foreign trade zones. Please visit www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/faf for FAF data and documentation.