USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Table 6. Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group and Mode of Transportation for CBSA of Origin: 2002

Monday, July 2, 2012

Table 6. Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group and Mode of Transportation for CBSA of Origin: 2002

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

Excel | CSV

All Commodities

Mode 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 68,649 100.0 42,116 100.0 9,379 100.0 465
Single modes 55,865 81.4 41,003 97.4 8,753 93.3 228
Truck2 54,147 78.9 39,737 94.4 8,068 86.0 188
Rail 633 0.9 1,240 2.9 657 7.0 645
All other Single modes 1,085 1.6 S S S S 1,405
Multiple modes 7,840 11.4 595 1.4 447 4.8 654
Parcel, USPS or courier 7,623 11.1 324 0.8 207 2.2 654
All other Multiple modes 217 0.3 271 0.6 240 2.6 880
Other and unknown modes S S 518 1.2 S S 108

SCTG 01-05, Agriculture products and fish

Mode 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 4,016 100.0 1,957 100.0 588 100.0 355
Single modes 2,833 70.5 1,750 89.4 527 89.7 203
Truck2 2,832 70.5 1,749 89.4 527 89.7 204
Rail
All other Single modes S S S S S S 2
Multiple modes S S S S S S 665
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S S S 669
All other Multiple modes S S S S S S 328
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 63

SCTG 06-09, Grains, alcohol, and tobacco products

Mode 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 4,518 100.0 3,408 100.0 1,041 100.0 393
Single modes 4,113 91.0 3,305 97.0 917 88.1 95
Truck2 3,928 86.9 3,176 93.2 772 74.2 93
Rail 185 4.1 128 3.8 145 13.9 1,142
All other Single modes S S S S S S 20
Multiple modes S S 87 2.6 119 11.5 546
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S S S 545
All other Multiple modes 36 0.8 61 1.8 106 10.2 1,794
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

SCTG 10-14, Stones, non-metallic minerals, and metallic ores

Mode 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 S S S S S S 51
Single modes S S S S S S 51
Truck2 S S S S S S 49
Rail 7 1.6 568 5.0 183 16.4 322
All other Single modes
Multiple modes
Parcel, USPS or courier
All other Multiple modes
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 18

SCTG 15-19, Coal and petroleum products

Mode 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 1,144 100.0 4,219 100.0 233 100.0 54
Single modes 1,139 99.6 4,201 99.6 232 99.8 53
Truck2 1,139 99.6 4,201 99.6 232 99.8 53
Rail
All other Single modes
Multiple modes S S S S S S 383
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S S S 383
All other Multiple modes
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 22

SCTG 20-24, Pharmaceutical and chemical products

Mode 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 10,483 100.0 4,247 100.0 S S 472
Single modes 9,575 91.3 4,096 96.4 S S 440
Truck2 8,998 85.8 4,078 96.0 S S 434
Rail S S S S S S 1,176
All other Single modes S S S S S S 1,184
Multiple modes 668 6.4 71 1.7 S S 490
Parcel, USPS or courier 644 6.1 66 1.5 29 1.5 490
All other Multiple modes S S S S S S 4,861
Other and unknown modes 240 2.3 S S S S S

SCTG 25-30, Logs, wood products, and textile and leather

Mode 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 9,062 100.0 2,256 100.0 761 100.0 630
Single modes 3,324 36.7 1,870 82.9 513 67.4 131
Truck2 3,263 36.0 1,829 81.1 472 62.1 90
Rail S S S S S S 1,243
All other Single modes S S S S S S 1,171
Multiple modes 1,239 13.7 237 10.5 106 14.0 807
Parcel, USPS or courier 1,162 12.8 59 2.6 28 3.6 808
All other Multiple modes S S S S S S S
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

SCTG 31-34, Base metal and machinery

Mode 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 11,160 100.0 7,605 100.0 1,076 100.0 593
Single modes 9,607 86.1 7,558 99.4 1,024 95.2 337
Truck2 9,357 83.8 7,554 99.3 1,018 94.6 171
Rail S S S S S S 2,053
All other Single modes 241 2.2 S S S S 1,513
Multiple modes 1,509 13.5 40 0.5 51 4.7 867
Parcel, USPS or courier 1,467 13.1 34 0.4 S S 867
All other Multiple modes S S 6 9 0.9 1,377
Other and unknown modes 44 0.4 S S S S 95

SCTG 35-38, Electronic, motorized vehicles, and precision instruments

Mode 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 9,376 100.0 1,662 100.0 692 100.0 313
Single modes 6,852 73.1 1,611 96.9 656 94.8 S
Truck2 6,287 67.1 1,259 75.7 458 66.1 S
Rail 365 3.9 351 21.1 197 28.4 564
All other Single modes 199 2.1 2 2 0.3 1,194
Multiple modes 2,472 26.4 40 2.4 33 4.8 500
Parcel, USPS or courier 2,466 26.3 35 2.1 29 4.2 500
All other Multiple modes S S S S S S 2,195
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 636

SCTG 39-43, Furniture, mixed freight and misc manufactured products

Mode 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 18,294 100.0 5,361 100.0 1,919 100.0 580
Single modes 17,852 97.6 5,308 99.0 1,890 98.5 332
Truck2 17,780 97.2 5,154 96.1 1,796 93.6 327
Rail S S S S S S 711
All other Single modes S S 2 3 0.2 1,108
Multiple modes 421 2.3 21 0.4 28 1.4 975
Parcel, USPS or courier 395 2.2 15 0.3 15 0.8 973
All other Multiple modes S S S S S S 1,211
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 121

Commodity Unknown

Mode 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 144 100.0 71 100.0 S S 463
Single modes 119 82.6 71 99.7 S S 369
Truck2 119 82.6 71 99.7 S S 361
Rail
All other Single modes S S S S S S 2,503
Multiple modes S S S S S S 868
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S S S 868
All other Multiple modes
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 3

KEY:
– Represents data cell equal to zero or less than 1 unit of measure.
S Estimate does not meet publication standards because of high sampling variability or poor response quality.

1 Ton-miles estimates are based on estimated distances traveled along a modeled transportation network. See "Mileage Calculations" section for additional information.
2 "Truck" as a single mode includes shipments that were made by only private Truck, only for-hire Truck, or combination of private Truck and for-hire Truck.

NOTES: Value-of-shipments estimates have not been adjusted for price changes. Appendix B tables provide estimated measures of sampling variability. The Introduction and appendixes give information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, sample design, and definitions. Links to this information on the Internet may be found at www.census.gov/cfs.
Coverage for the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) differs from the previous surveys due to a change from the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification System to the 1997 North American Industry Classification System and other survey improvements. Therefore, data users are urged to use caution when comparing 2002 CFS estimates with estimates from prior years.

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (USDOT) and U.S. Census Bureau, 2002 Commodity Flow Survey, Metropolitan Data, December 2004.