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 B-6. Estimated Measures of Reliability for Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group and Mode of Transportation for CBSA of Origin: 2002

Monday, July 2, 2012

Table B-6. Estimated Measures of Reliability for 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-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 8.7 – 9.6 – 8.7 – 10.5
Single modes 8.4 1.0 9.3 0.7 8.9 0.7 13.2
Truck 8.6 1.9 11.4 2.9 12.6 3.7 12.2
Rail 10.3 0.3 15.1 2.9 15.9 4.1 6.6
All other Single modes S S S S S S 24.3
Multiple modes 8.7 0.4 45.1 0.3 25.8 0.5 6.8
Parcel, USPS or courier 11.9 0.4 9.8 – 11.1 – 7.1
All other multiple modes 32.1 0.2 S S 29.1 0.5 48.8
Other and unknown modes 42.0 1.1 42.5 0.5 31.5 0.4 S

SCTG 01-05, Agriculture products and fish

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 25.1 – 49.0 – 24.8 – 15.8
Single modes 25.3 10.3 S S 23.4 10.2 S
Truck 25.7 10.7 S S 24.2 10.2 S
Rail 41.9 3.5 S S S S 26.8
All other Single modes – – – – – – –
Multiple modes S S S S S S 26.2
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S S S 26.2
All other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 29.0

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

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 18.0 – 18.9 – 13.8 – S
Single modes 17.9 1.0 18.1 1.4 13.6 1.5 S
Truck 18.6 1.7 18.6 2.6 13.3 3.2 S
Rail 48.5 1.6 43.0 2.5 39.7 3.3 24.3
All other Single modes – – – – – – –
Multiple modes S S S S S S 21.7
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S S S 21.8
All other multiple modes S S S S S S 31.6
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-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 28.5 – 26.4 – 22.1 – 24.7
Single modes 28.6 0.4 26.4 0.4 21.9 0.5 24.0
Truck 40.2 7.8 40.0 8.3 35.5 7.3 28.1
Rail 14.7 7.9 29.1 8.2 28.0 7.5 10.6
All other Single modes 45.5 0.6 42.4 0.3 42.4 – 25.8
Multiple modes S S S S S S 31.6
Parcel, USPS or courier – – – – – – –
All other multiple modes S S S S S S 31.6
Other and unknown modes 48.0 0.2 S S S S 33.9

SCTG 15-19, Coal and petroleum products

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 38.1 – 39.1 – 49.3 – S
Single modes 38.1 – 39.1 – 49.3 – S
Truck 38.9 2.2 41.8 4.8 32.8 14.7 S
Rail S S S S S S 28.2
All other Single modes – – – – – – –
Multiple modes – – – – – – –
Parcel, USPS or courier – – – – – – –
All other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes – – – – – – –

SCTG 20-24, Pharmaceutical and chemical products

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 16.9 – 16.8 – 15.3 – 25.9
Single modes 17.7 1.1 16.8 2.1 14.4 2.7 45.3
Truck 19.1 3.3 12.9 5.7 13.5 5.2 46.2
Rail S S 46.8 5.5 36.7 4.3 25.8
All other Single modes S S S S S S 26.7
Multiple modes 19.6 1.2 S S S S 20.3
Parcel, USPS or courier 22.4 1.2 21.2 – 24.8 0.2 13.7
All other multiple modes S S S S S S 25.0
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 27.6

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

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 15.6 – 12.2 – 10.1 – 8.5
Single modes 12.7 2.5 11.4 1.9 9.9 1.3 11.1
Truck 13.4 2.4 12.1 2.3 13.0 3.9 10.9
Rail 12.1 0.8 14.5 1.6 20.5 3.8 11.7
All other Single modes 42.6 0.5 S S S S 22.2
Multiple modes 20.8 0.7 S S 49.5 1.2 8.0
Parcel, USPS or courier 18.0 0.7 18.7 – 19.9 – 8.0
All other multiple modes 47.1 0.3 S S S S 29.9
Other and unknown modes S S S S 47.0 0.6 S

SCTG 31-34, Base metal and machinery

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 11.4 – 22.4 – 19.0 – S
Single modes 12.6 2.8 22.5 0.4 19.1 0.4 S
Truck 13.0 3.0 22.5 4.4 18.1 6.2 S
Rail S S S S 49.2 6.4 23.4
All other Single modes S S S S S S 29.9
Multiple modes 49.8 2.7 44.5 0.2 S S 36.0
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S 35.4 0.1 40.3
All other multiple modes S S S S S S S
Other and unknown modes S S 47.3 0.2 40.3 0.3 S

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

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 26.8 – 29.4 – 26.1 – 12.9
Single modes 30.4 5.4 30.2 1.8 28.4 3.8 36.5
Truck 32.5 8.4 30.7 3.0 30.0 6.4 S
Rail S S S S S S 31.6
All other Single modes S S S S S S 17.6
Multiple modes 31.8 3.7 31.3 1.1 S S 9.2
Parcel, USPS or courier 32.9 3.7 37.3 1.0 39.3 0.8 9.2
All other multiple modes S S S S S S 26.7
Other and unknown modes 41.6 4.4 34.3 1.7 42.4 2.9 38.1

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

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 17.7 – 15.3 – 16.1 – 19.5
Single modes 16.9 1.2 15.5 0.7 16.2 1.9 23.1
Truck 16.9 1.2 15.8 6.2 18.3 5.9 22.2
Rail S S S S S S 31.6
All other Single modes S S S S S S 24.6
Multiple modes 35.9 1.1 S S S S 11.0
Parcel, USPS or courier 40.2 1.1 33.0 0.1 47.2 0.5 11.0
All other multiple modes S S S S S S 31.6
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S S

Commodity Unknown

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles CV of average miles per shipment
CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent CV Std. error of percent
All modes 44.8 – S S S S S
Single modes 45.2 10.0 S S S S S
Truck 34.5 13.4 S S S S S
Rail S S S S S S 31.6
All other Single modes S S S S S S 31.6
Multiple modes S S S S S S 30.6
Parcel, USPS or courier S S S S S S 30.6
All other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes – – – – – – –

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.
CV Coefficient of variation of number

NOTE: The Introduction and appendixes give information onf 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.

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