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BTS Home > Publications > Commodity Flow Survey > United States
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Table 14. Shipment Characteristics by Three-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation: 2002

[Estimates are based on data from the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey. Because of rounding, estimates may not be additive]

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All commodities

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes2 8,397,210 100.0 11,667,919 100.0 3,137,898 100.0 546
Single modes 7,049,383 83.9 11,086,660 95.0 2,867,938 91.4 240
Truck3 6,235,001 74.3 7,842,836 67.2 1,255,908 40.0 173
For-hire truck 3,757,114 44.7 3,657,333 31.3 959,610 30.6 523
Private truck 2,445,288 29.1 4,149,658 35.6 291,114 9.3 64
Rail 310,884 3.7 1,873,884 16.1 1,261,612 40.2 807
Water 89,344 1.1 681,227 5.8 282,659 9.0 568
Shallow draft 57,467 0.7 458,577 3.9 211,501 6.7 450
Great Lakes 843 – 38,041 0.3 13,808 0.4 339
Deep draft 31,034 0.4 184,610 1.6 57,350 1.8 664
Air (including truck and air) 264,959 3.2 3,760 – 5,835 0.2 1,919
Pipeline4 149,195 1.8 684,953 5.9 S S S
Multiple modes 1,079,185 12.9 216,686 1.9 225,715 7.2 895
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 987,746 11.8 25,513 0.2 19,004 0.6 894
Truck and rail 69,929 0.8 42,984 0.4 45,525 1.5 1,413
Truck and water 14,359 0.2 23,299 0.2 32,413 1.0 1,950
Rail and water 3,329 – 105,107 0.9 114,986 3.7 957
Other multiple modes 3,822 – 19,782 0.2 13,788 0.4 S
Other and unknown modes 268,642 3.2 364,573 3.1 44,245 1.4 130

SCTG 010, Live animals and live fish

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 7,410 100.0 6,118 100.0 1,586 100.0 530
Single modes 7,063 95.3 5,840 95.5 1,483 93.5 142
Truck3 7,039 95.0 5,838 95.4 1,479 93.2 133
For-hire truck 2,564 34.6 1,880 30.7 773 48.8 442
Private truck 4,474 60.4 3,957 64.7 706 44.5 120
Rail – – – – – – –
Water S S S S S S 269
Shallow draft – – – – – – –
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 269
Air (including truck and air) 23 0.3 1 – 4 0.2 2,115
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes S S S S S S 1,752
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 1,752
Truck and rail – – – – – – –
Truck and water – – – – – – –
Rail and water – – – – – – –
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 184

SCTG 021, Wheat

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 13,103 100.0 110,165 100.0 46,334 100.0 213
Single modes 12,781 97.5 107,576 97.6 45,700 98.6 213
Truck3 5,512 42.1 46,963 42.6 7,058 15.2 144
For-hire truck 4,259 32.5 35,326 32.1 5,662 12.2 141
Private truck 1,231 9.4 11,458 10.4 1,358 2.9 153
Rail 4,276 32.6 38,957 35.4 30,714 66.3 634
Water 2,993 22.8 21,657 19.7 7,928 17.1 738
Shallow draft 2,245 17.1 16,424 14.9 7,406 16.0 778
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 126
Air (including truck and air) S S S S S S 326
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes S S S S S S 573
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 741
Truck and rail S S S S S S 3
Truck and water S S S S S S 1,555
Rail and water S S S S S S 2,205
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 154

SCTG 022, Corn, except sweet

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 33,465 100.0 389,568 100.0 191,932 100.0 104
Single modes 32,068 95.8 372,234 95.6 181,780 94.7 103
Truck3 11,635 34.8 131,720 33.8 11,719 6.1 80
For-hire truck 7,338 21.9 82,116 21.1 8,774 4.6 108
Private truck 4,297 12.8 49,604 12.7 S S 48
Rail 9,172 27.4 111,642 28.7 95,391 49.7 665
Water 11,245 33.6 128,654 33.0 74,456 38.8 1,252
Shallow draft 5,180 15.5 61,156 15.7 71,994 37.5 1,320
Great Lakes S S S S S S 1
Deep draft 5,876 17.6 65,377 16.8 2,459 1.3 36
Air (including truck and air) S S S S S S 996
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 682 2.0 8,243 2.1 8,278 4.3 508
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 577
Truck and rail S S S S S S 308
Truck and water S S S S S S 1,353
Rail and water S S S S S S 1,121
Other multiple modes S S S S S S 1,329
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

SCTG 029, Other cereal grains

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 7,267 100.0 61,356 100.0 25,972 100.0 178
Single modes 6,926 95.3 58,382 95.2 21,251 81.8 203
Truck3 3,835 52.8 31,150 50.8 3,560 13.7 130
For-hire truck 2,719 37.4 21,121 34.4 3,108 12.0 186
Private truck 1,117 15.4 S S 452 1.7 60
Rail 2,457 33.8 21,467 35.0 15,720 60.5 961
Water 634 8.7 5,765 9.4 1,972 7.6 1,039
Shallow draft 347 4.8 2,909 4.7 1,860 7.2 958
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 1,170
Air (including truck and air) – – – – – – –
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes S S S S S S 488
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 219
Truck and rail S S S S S S 619
Truck and water S S S S S S 2,377
Rail and water S S S S S S 2,478
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes 117 1.6 469 0.8 S S S

SCTG 031, Fresh or chilled potatoes (Irish potatoes), except sweet

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 5,547 100.0 9,411 100.0 7,676 100.0 111
Single modes 5,427 97.8 9,207 97.8 7,626 99.3 112
Truck3 5,063 91.3 8,199 87.1 5,531 72.1 103
For-hire truck 1,913 34.5 4,405 46.8 4,764 62.1 567
Private truck 3,150 56.8 3,795 40.3 S S 52
Rail 364 6.6 1,008 10.7 2,095 27.3 1,962
Water – – – – – – –
Shallow draft – – – – – – –
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft – – – – – – –
Air (including truck and air) – – – – – – –
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes S S S S S S S
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier – – – – – – –
Truck and rail S S S S S S 3,339
Truck and water S S S S S S 156
Rail and water – – – – – – –
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

SCTG 032, Fresh or chilled edible vegetables, except potatoes (Irish potatoes)

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 33,998 100.0 39,720 100.0 16,461 100.0 104
Single modes 33,089 97.3 38,782 97.6 16,276 98.9 101
Truck3 32,567 95.8 37,627 94.7 13,953 84.8 99
For-hire truck 10,701 31.5 14,328 36.1 11,664 70.9 490
Private truck 21,810 64.2 23,190 58.4 2,264 13.8 52
Rail 398 1.2 S S 2,164 13.1 2,178
Water S S S S S S 147
Shallow draft S S S S S S 828
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 139
Air (including truck and air) S S S S S S 1,571
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 99 0.3 59 0.1 117 0.7 1,254
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 1,047
Truck and rail S S S S S S 2,036
Truck and water S S S S S S 1,350
Rail and water – – – – – – –
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes 811 2.4 879 2.2 S S S

SCTG 033, Fresh, chilled, or dried edible fruit and nuts

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 32,608 100.0 28,765 100.0 16,562 100.0 1,168
Single modes 30,691 94.1 27,803 96.7 15,394 92.9 224
Truck3 29,830 91.5 27,126 94.3 13,597 82.1 218
For-hire truck 15,331 47.0 13,385 46.5 10,950 66.1 636
Private truck 14,499 44.5 S S S S S
Rail S S S S S S 2,616
Water S S S S S S 2
Shallow draft – – – – – – –
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 2
Air (including truck and air) S S S S S S 708
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 1,389 4.3 466 1.6 1,055 6.4 1,981
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 1,986
Truck and rail S S S S S S 2,636
Truck and water S S S S S S S
Rail and water – – – – – – –
Other multiple modes S S S S S S 2,753
Other and unknown modes 528 1.6 496 1.7 113 0.7 S

SCTG 034, Soya beans

Modes of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 27,923 100.0 157,527 100.0 54,615 100.0 102
Single modes 27,262 97.6 153,929 97.7 51,604 94.5 101
Truck3 13,587 48.7 76,475 48.5 5,682 10.4 78
For-hire truck 8,737 31.3 49,333 31.3 4,441 8.1 106
Private truck 4,820 17.3 26,920 17.1 1,232 2.3 40
Rail 4,337 15.5 25,068 15.9 16,489 30.2 663
Water 9,338 33.4 52,384 33.3 29,433 53.9 1,154
Shallow draft 4,507 16.1 25,101 15.9 28,431 52.1 1,209