U.S. Industry Shipped 13 Billion Tons of Goods in 2007
U.S. industry shipped 13 billion tons of goods valued at almost $12 trillion in 2007, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday by the Department of Transportation and the Census Bureau.
The preliminary numbers from the “commodity flow survey” showed that trucks moved about 9 billion tons of goods and raw materials, valued at $8.4 trillion and representing more than two-thirds of the value and weight of freight shipped domestically.
Multiple-mode shipments using more than one type of transportation were second to trucking in shipment value, at $1.9 trillion for a 16% share, but carried only 627 million tons, or 5% by weight, the agencies said. The Census Bureau is part of the Commerce Department.
For shipments using multiple modes, parcel, U.S. Postal Service or courier carried the most by value, at $1.6 trillion, but truck-rail combination carried the most weight, at 213 million tons.
Rail was the second most used mode by weight, carrying 1.9 billion tons for a 15% share, but accounted for just $388 billion or 3% of goods by value.
