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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 16. Shipment Characteristics of Temperature Controlled Shipments (1) 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. Because of rounding, estimates may not be additive)

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles (2) Average miles per shipment
2012 Percent of total 2012 Percent of total 2012 Percent of total
(million dollars) (thousands) (millions)
All modes 1,620,164 100 668,225 100 213,293 100 204
Single modes 1,465,548 90.5 659,921 98.8 204,550 95.9 138
Truck (3) 1,408,696 86.9 616,703 92.3 170,122 79.8 120
 For-hire truck 727,616 44.9 296,171 44.3 141,412 66.3 501
 Private truck 681,080 42 320,532 48 28,710 13.5 61
Rail 23,977 1.5 34,454 5.2 28,636 13.4 864
Water 8,133 0.5 6,997 1 3,646 1.7 1,156
 Inland water 4,898 0.3 5,813 0.9 S S 473
 Great Lakes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Deep sea 2,859 0.2 721 0.1 879 0.4 1,158
 Multiple waterways 376 Z 463 0.1 188 0.1 1,708
Air (includes truck and air) 24,323 1.5 971 0.1 1,714 0.8 1,538
Pipeline (4) 418 Z 796 0.1 S S S
Multiple modes 154,616 9.5 8,304 1.2 8,744 4.1 688
Parcel, U.S. Postal Service, or courier 144,887 8.9 502 0.1 288 0.1 686
Truck and rail 6,835 0.4 5,377 0.8 6,883 3.2 706
Truck and water 2,574 0.2 919 0.1 1,452 0.7 981
Rail and water S S S S 122 0.1 S
Other multiple modes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other modes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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

Z = Rounds to zero.

(1) Shipments that are temperature controlled are transported in a vehicle or container that regulates or maintains the temperature when en route to its destination.

(2) Ton-miles estimates are based on estimated distances traveled along a modeled transportation network. See “Mileage Calculations” section for additional information.

(3) “Truck” as a single mode includes shipments that were made by only private truck or only for-hire truck.

(4) 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.