Freight Facts and Figures 2013
Tables 2-6 and 2-6M. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Hazard Class: 2007
Flammable liquids, especially gasoline, are the predominant hazardous materials transported in the United States. In terms of ton-miles, flammable liquids account for about 56 percent of hazardous materials shipments. The next largest class of hazardous materials, in terms of ton-miles, is gases at about 17 percent.
Table 2-6 (standard units)
| Hazard Class | Description | Value |
Tons | Ton miles1 | Miles | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ Billions | Percent | Millions | Percent | Billions | Percent | Average distance per shipment | ||
| Class 1 | Explosives | 12 | 0.8 | 3 | 0.1 | <1 | <0.1 | 738 |
| Class 2 | Gases | 132 | 9.1 | 251 | 11.2 | 55 | 17.1 | 51 |
| Class 3 | Flammable liquids | 1,170 | 80.8 | 1,753 | 78.6 | 182 | 56.1 | 91 |
| Class 4 | Flammable solids | 4 | 0.3 | 20 | 0.9 | 6 | 1.7 | 309 |
| Class 5 | Oxidizers and organic peroxides | 7 | 0.5 | 15 | 0.7 | 7 | 2.2 | 361 |
| Class 6 | Toxics (poison) | 21 | 1.5 | 11 | 0.5 | 6 | 1.8 | 467 |
| Class 7 | Radioactive materials | 21 | 1.4 | <1 | <0.1 | <1 | <0.1 | S |
| Class 8 | Corrosive materials | 51 | 3.6 | 114 | 5.1 | 44 | 13.7 | 208 |
| Class 9 | Miscellaneous dangerous goods | 30 | 2.1 | 63 | 2.8 | 23 | 7.1 | 484 |
| Total |  |
1,448 | 100.0 | 2,231 | 100.0 | 323 | 100.0 | 96 |
Key: S = data are not published because of high sampling variability or other reasons
1Ton-miles estimates are based on estimated distances traveled along a modeled transportation network.
Note:
Numbers and percents may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2007 Commodity Flow Survey, Hazardous Materials (Washington, DC: July 2010), table 1a, available at www.bts.gov/publications/commodity_flow_survey/ as of September 30, 2013.
Table 2-6M (metric units)
| Hazard Class | Description | Value |
Metric tonnes | Tonne kilometers1 | Kilometers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ Billions | Percent | Millions | Percent | Billions | Percent | Average distance per shipment | ||
| Class 1 | Explosives | 12 | 0.8 | 3 | 0.1 | <1 | <0.1 | 813 |
| Class 2 | Gases | 132 | 9.1 | 206 | 11.2 | 118 | 17.1 | 56 |
| Class 3 | Flammable liquids | 1,170 | 80.8 | 1,443 | 78.6 | 387 | 56.3 | 100 |
| Class 4 | Flammable solids | 4 | 0.3 | 17 | 0.9 | 12 | 1.7 | 341 |
| Class 5 | Oxidizers and organic peroxides | 7 | 0.5 | 12 | 0.7 | 15 | 2.2 | 398 |
| Class 6 | Toxics (poison) | 21 | 1.5 | 9 | 0.5 | 12 | 1.8 | 515 |
| Class 7 | Radioactive materials | 21 | 1.4 | <1 | <0.1 | <1 | <0.1 | S |
| Class 8 | Corrosive materials | 51 | 3.6 | 94 | 5.1 | 95 | 13.8 | 229 |
| Class 9 | Miscellaneous dangerous goods | 30 | 2.1 | 52 | 2.8 | 49 | 7.1 | 534 |
| Total | |
1,448 | 100.0 | 1,836 | 100.0 | 688 | 100.0 | 106 |
Key: S = data are not published because of high sampling variability or other reasons
1Tonne-kilometer estimates are based on estimated distances traveled along a modeled transportation network.
Notes:
1 metric tonne = 1.1023 short tons; 1 tonne kilometer = 0.6849 ton miles. Numbers and percents may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, 2007 Commodity Flow Survey, Hazardous Materials (Washington, DC: July 2010), table 1a, available at www.bts.gov/publications/commodity_flow_survey/ as of September 30, 2013.
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