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

Table 1b. Hazardous Material Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation for the United States: 2012 and 2007

Monday, July 13, 2015

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(Estimates are based on data from the 2012 and 2007 Commodity Flow Surveys. Because of rounding, estimates may not be additive)

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles (1) Average miles per shipment
2012
(million dollars)
2007
(million dollars)
Percent change 2012
(thousands)
2007
(thousands)
Percent change 2012
(millions)
2007
(millions)
Percent change 2012 2007 Percent change
All modes 2,334,425 1,448,218 61.2 2,580,153 2,231,133 15.6 307,524 323,457 –4.9 114 96 19.2
Single modes 2,304,743 1,370,615 68.2 2,552,868 2,111,622 20.9 275,628 279,105 –1.2 68 65 4.7
Truck (2) 1,466,021 837,074 75.1 1,531,405 1,202,825 27.3 96,559 103,997 –7.2 56 59 –3.9
 For-hire truck 870,893 358,792 142.7 882,288 495,077 78.2 62,018 63,288 –2.0 150 214 –29.9
 Private truck 595,128 478,282 24.4 649,117 707,748 –8.3 34,541 40,709 –15.2 33 32 2.4
Rail 79,222 69,213 14.5 110,988 129,743 –14.5 84,850 92,169 –7.9 808 578 39.8
Water 217,816 69,186 214.8 283,561 149,794 89.3 54,902 37,064 48.1 212 383 –44.5
 Inland water 170,595 57,022 199.2 226,349 124,396 82.0 27,636 22,411 23.3 S S S
 Great Lakes 0 S S 0 S S 0 S S 0 S S
 Deep sea 35,570 11,626 205.9 45,001 24,181 86.1 18,359 13,767 33.4 854 861 –0.8
 Multiple waterways 11,651 X X 12,210 X X 8,907 X X S X X
Air (includes truck and air) 4,380 1,735 152.5 261 S S 271 S S 1,120 1,095 2.3
Pipeline (3) 537,304 393,408 36.6 626,652 628,905 –0.4 S S S S S S
Multiple modes 29,682 71,069 –58.2 27,285 111,022 –75.4 31,896 42,886 –25.6 654 834 –21.6
Parcel, U.S. Postal Service, or courier 10,294 7,675 34.1 305 236 29.2 178 151 17.7 650 836 –22.2
Truck and rail 13,338 7,052 89.1 16,992 11,706 45.2 16,577 10,120 63.8 954 779 22.5
Truck and water S 23,451 S S 36,588 S S 12,380 S 1,181 1,010 17.0
Rail and water 2,474 5,153 –52.0 4,589 5,742 –20.1 1,377 2,937 –53.1 S 1,506 S
Other multiple modes 0 27,739 –100.0 0 56,750 –100.0 0 17,297 –100.0 0 233 –100.0
Other modes 0 6,534 –100.0 0 8,489 –100.0 0 1,466 –100.0 0 58 –100.0

KEY: S = Withheld because estimate did not meet publication standards.

X = Not applicable.

(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 or only for-hire truck.

(3) Estimates for pipeline exclude shipments of crude petroleum (SCTG 16).

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/econ/cfs>.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Economic Census: Transportation Commodity Flow Survey, December 2014.