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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 B-4. Estimated Measures of Reliability for Hazardous Versus Nonhazardous Material Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation for the United States: 2012

Monday, July 13, 2015

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(Estimates are based on data from the 2012 Commodity Flow Survey)

Mode of transportation Tons Ton-miles (1)
Coefficient of variation of number Hazardous Nonhazardous Coefficient of variation of number Hazardous Nonhazardous
Coefficient of variation of number Standard error of percent of total Coefficient of variation of number Standard error of percent of total Coefficient of variation of number Standard error of percent of total Coefficient of variation of number Standard error of percent of total
All modes 1.8 3.7 0.7 1.8 0.7 3.7 6.2 0.6 3.8 0.6
Single modes 1.8 3.7 0.7 1.8 0.7 4.4 6.0 0.5 4.4 0.5
Truck (2) 1.5 3.7 0.6 1.7 0.6 1.6 6.0 0.4 1.7 0.4
 For-hire truck 2.1 4.9 1.2 3.2 1.2 1.6 5.0 0.3 1.9 0.3
 Private truck 1.4 7.5 1.2 1.7 1.2 3.4 11.2 1.4 2.4 1.4
Rail 8.0 6.2 0.3 8.2 0.3 9.1 6.9 0.4 9.4 0.4
Water 13.2 28.2 5.8 15.4 5.8 14.9 17.4 3.9 17.7 3.9
 Inland water 16.4 30.6 6.7 22.2 6.7 17.3 28.7 5.5 22.7 5.5
 Great Lakes 19.5 0.0 0.0 19.5 0.0 23.3 0.0 0.0 23.3 0.0
 Deep sea 25.2 36.9 10.3 30.0 10.3 30.1 36.7 12.5 18.0 12.5
 Multiple waterways 25.8 42.7 9.7 22.2 7.8 22.9 43.8 9.5 23.6 7.2
Air (includes truck and air) 7.2 29.3 1.7 8.0 1.7 13.4 38.4 1.2 13.3 1.2
Pipeline (3) 11.0 11.0 0.3 19.4 0.3 S S S S S
Multiple modes 7.0 30.9 2.3 8.1 2.3 7.1 45.8 3.3 5.7 3.3
Parcel, U.S. Postal Service, or courier 3.0 9.0 0.1 3.0 0.1 2.6 10.4 0.1 2.6 0.1
Truck and rail 7.2 15.6 1.7 8.3 1.7 5.7 14.0 1.5 6.6 1.5
Truck and water 22.7 S S 23.0 4.8 38.5 S S 22.7 9.4
Rail and water 20.1 42.5 9.3 22.9 7.4 26.2 33.3 1.7 26.7 1.5
Other multiple modes 36.6 0.0 0.0 36.6 0.0 32.2 0.0 0.0 32.2 0.0
Other modes 18.1 0.0 0.0 18.1 0.0 22.7 0.0 0.0 22.7 0.0

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

(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: 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.