More Tons, Miles by Truck

Preliminary data from the 1997 Commodity Flow Survey also indicates that trucking accounts for 72% of the value of shipments tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Trucking’s share of the 11.6 billion tons of commodities tracked in the survey increased from the 66% measured in the 1993 survey. In 1997, trucks hauled $8 billion tons of goods valued at $5.5 trillion, up from 6.4 billion tons of goods valued at $4.4 trillion in 1993, a 25% increase in both the amount and value of goods hauled.

Trucks racked up 1.1 trillion ton-miles in 1997, up nearly 26 % from the 869 billion ton-miles registered in 1993.

Overall, the preliminary data shows that between 1993 and 1997 freight shipments increased by about 30% in value, 19% in tonnage and 16% in ton-miles. At the same time, more than half of all tonnage tracked moved less than 50 miles.

“These preliminary results confirm the importance of local transportation to the economy,” said BTS Director Ashish Sen. “We also see continued growth in parcel and courier services, and the increased use of multiple modes of transportation by American businesses to ship goods and materials.”

The Commodity Flow Survey is a compilation of data that illustrates various transportation modes businesses use to transport commodities in the U.S. The survey measures the value, weight, types of commodities shipped, the point of origin and destination of shipments.

In 1997, over 30% of the value and 57% of the tons of shipments measured in the CFS moved between places less than 50 miles apart. Shipments by parcel, the U.S. postal service and courier services increased over 1993 by about 53% when measured by value and 31% by tons. Shipments delivered by more than one transportation mode increased 44% by value and 17% by tons.

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