Table 1-35: Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes
Table 1-35: Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes
(Miles)
1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Freight | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Air carrier | 953 | 943 | 1,014 | 1,082 | 1,052 | 1,157 | 1,389 | 1,346 | 1,391 | 1,347 | 1,221 | 1,160 | 1,181 | 1,077 | 1,078 | 1,001 | 982 | 973 | U | U | U | U |
Trucka | 272 | 259 | 263 | 286 | 363 | 366 | 391 | 398 | 410 | 407 | 392 | 416 | 426 | 435 | 442 | 458 | 473 | 485 | U | U | U | U |
Class I rail | 461 | 503 | 515 | 541 | 616 | 665 | 726 | 751 | 763 | 794 | 817 | 843 | 842 | 851 | 835 | 835 | 843 | 859 | 853 | 862 | 902 | U |
Coastwise (water) | 1,496 | 1,501 | 1,509 | 1,362 | 1,915 | 1,972 | 1,604 | 1,705 | 1,762 | 1,650 | 1,652 | 1,652 | 1,526 | 1,330 | 1,261 | 1,279 | 1,251 | 1,228 | 1,219 | 1,248 | 1,269 | U |
Lakewise (water) | 522 | 494 | 506 | 530 | 536 | 524 | 553 | 535 | 519 | 514 | 508 | 514 | 508 | 507 | 505 | 501 | 506 | 509 | 529 | 530 | 538 | U |
Internal (water) | 282 | 297 | 330 | 358 | 405 | 435 | 468 | 483 | 479 | 468 | 482 | 494 | 477 | 466 | 472 | 488 | 481 | 476 | 483 | 457 | 454 | U |
Intraport (water) | U | U | U | 16 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | U |
Crude (oil pipeline) | 325 | 320 | 300 | 633 | 871 | 777 | 812 | 822 | 830 | 790 | 778 | 797 | 779 | 781 | 767 | 766 | U | U | U | U | U | U |
Petroleum products (oil pipeline) | 269 | 335 | 357 | 516 | 414 | 391 | 387 | 379 | 379 | 406 | 414 | 402 | 413 | 413 | 420 | 418 | U | U | U | U | U | U |
Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Air carrier, domestic, scheduled | 583 | 614 | 678 | 698 | 736 | 758 | 803 | 806 | 806 | 799 | 787 | 791 | 802 | 817 | 812 | 824 | 833 | 842 | 850 | (R) 858 | 857 | 874 |
Bus, intercity | 79 | 94 | 106 | 113 | 125 | 121 | 141 | 143 | 136 | 138 | 138 | 140 | 143 | 144 | 144 | 143 | 143 | U | U | U | U | U |
Commuter rail | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | U |
Amtrakb | N | N | N | 236 | 216 | 231 | 273 | 285 | 286 | 280 | 279 | 268 | 256 | 256 | 251 | 248 | 244 | 237 | 234 | 231 | 219 | U |
KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised; U = data are not available.
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.
NOTES
Average length of haul for freight is calculated by dividing ton-miles in table 1-46 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, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), p. 65.
Class I rail:
Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2005 (Washington, DC: 2005), 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.
1975-99: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), p. 65.
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:
Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), p. 64.
Commuter Rail:
1960-2000: Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., Transportation in America, 2002 (Washington, DC: 2002), p. 64.
2001-04: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table 19 and similar tables in earlier editions.
Amtrak:
1970-85: Amtrak, corporate communication, Jan. 26, 1999.
1990-2002: Amtrak, Amtrak Annual Report (Washington, DC: 2003), Statistical Appendix.
2003-04: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts 2005 (Washington, DC: 2004), p. 77 and similar pages in earlier editions.