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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 1-42. Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes (Miles)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 1-42. Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes (Miles)

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  1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998
Freight                     
Air carrier 953 943 1,014 1,082 1,052 1,157 1,389 R1,069 R1,075 903 890
Trucka 272 259 263 286 363 366 391 416 R426 435 444
Class I rail 461 503 515 541 616 665 726 843 842 851 835
Water                     
Coastwise 1,496 1,501 1,509 1,362 1,915 1,972 1,604 1,652 1,526 1,330 1,261
Lakewise 522 494 506 530 536 524 553 514 508 R507 505
Internal 282 297 330 358 405 435 R470 494 477 R466 472
Intraport U U U 16 17 15 13 16 17 15 15
Oil pipeline                     
Crude 325 320 300 633 871 777 805 R747 R779 713 689
Petroleum products 269 335 357 516 414 391 389 R393 R393 393 393
Passenger                      
Air carrier, 583 614 678 698 736 758 803 791 802 R817 813
domestic, scheduled                     
Bus, intercity 79 94 106 113 125 121 141 140 143 144 144
Commuter rail 21 21 22 23 23 24 22 R24 24 23 U
Amtrakb N N N 236 216 231 273 268 257 256 252

a Total Class I and Class II motor carriers of freight (less-than-truckload, specialized carrier for truckload, and others).
b Amtrak began operations in 1971. Data are reported for fiscal years.

KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised; U = data are not available.

NOTES: Average length of haul for freight is calculated by dividing ton-miles in the previous table by estimates of tonnage from the  various data sources. The calculation of average length of haul for passenger trips varies by mode: for air carrier it is  calculated by dividing revenue passenger-miles by revenue passenger enplanements; for commuter rail, intercity bus, and  Amtrak it is calculated by dividing passenger-miles by number of passengers.

SOURCES:
Freight:
Air carrier, truck: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation In America, 1999 (Washington, DC: 1999), p. 71.
Class I rail: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: 1999), p. 36.
Water: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States, Part 5 (New Orleans, LA: Annual issues),  section 1, Table 1-4
Oil pipeline: 1960-70: Transportation Policy Associates, Washington, DC, personal communication. 1975-98: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 1999 (Washington, DC: 1999), p. 71.
Passenger:
Air carrier: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, Air Carrier Traffic
Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues).
Intercity bus and commuter rail: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 1999 (Washington, DC: 1999), p. 70.
Amtrak: 1970-85: Amtrak, corporate communication, Jan. 26, 1999. 1990-98: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report (Washington, DC: 1999), Statistical Appendix, p. III.