Table 1-35M: Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes
Table 1-35M: Average Length of Haul, Domestic Freight and Passenger Modes
(Kilometers)
1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Freight | ||||||||||||||||||||
Air carrier | 1,534 | 1,518 | 1,632 | 1,741 | 1,693 | 1,862 | 2,235 | 2,166 | 2,239 | 2,168 | 1,965 | 1,867 | 1,901 | 1,733 | 1,735 | 1,611 | 1,580 | 1,566 | U | U |
Trucka | 438 | 417 | 423 | 460 | 584 | 589 | 629 | 641 | 660 | 655 | 631 | 669 | 686 | 700 | 711 | 737 | 761 | 781 | U | U |
Class I rail | 742 | 810 | 829 | 870 | 991 | 1,069 | 1,168 | 1,209 | 1,227 | 1,278 | 1,315 | 1,356 | 1,355 | 1,369 | 1,344 | 1,344 | 1,357 | 1,382 | 1,373 | 1,388 |
Coastwise (water) | 2,408 | 2,416 | 2,429 | 2,192 | 3,082 | 3,174 | 2,582 | 2,744 | 2,835 | 2,656 | 2,658 | 2,658 | 2,456 | 2,140 | 2,030 | 2,059 | 2,013 | 1,976 | 1,961 | 2,009 |
Lakewise (water) | 840 | 795 | 814 | 853 | 863 | 843 | 890 | 861 | 836 | 827 | 817 | 827 | 817 | 815 | 812 | 806 | 814 | 818 | 851 | 852 |
Internal (water) | 454 | 478 | 531 | 576 | 652 | 700 | 753 | 777 | 771 | 752 | 775 | 795 | 768 | 750 | 759 | 785 | 775 | 766 | 777 | 735 |
Intraport (water) | U | U | U | 26 | 27 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 |
Crude (oil pipeline) | 523 | 515 | 483 | 1,019 | 1,402 | 1,250 | 1,307 | 1,323 | 1,336 | 1,271 | 1,252 | 1,283 | 1,254 | 1,257 | 1,234 | 1,233 | U | U | U | U |
Petroleum products (oil pipeline) | 433 | 539 | 575 | 830 | 666 | 629 | 623 | 610 | 610 | 653 | 666 | 647 | 665 | 665 | 676 | 673 | U | U | U | U |
Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||
Air carrier, domestic, scheduled | 938 | 988 | 1,091 | 1,123 | 1,184 | 1,220 | 1,292 | 1,297 | 1,297 | 1,286 | 1,267 | 1,273 | 1,291 | 1,315 | 1,307 | 1,326 | 1,340 | 1,356 | 1,368 | 1,355 |
Bus, intercity | 127 | 151 | 171 | 182 | 201 | 195 | 227 | 230 | 219 | 222 | 222 | 225 | 230 | 232 | 232 | 230 | 230 | U | U | U |
Commuter rail | 33 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 35 | 37 | 37 | 35 | 34 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 38 |
Amtrakb | N | N | N | 380 | 348 | 372 | 439 | 459 | 460 | 451 | 449 | 431 | 412 | 412 | 404 | 399 | 393 | 381 | 376 | 372 |
KEY: N = data do not exist; 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. These numbers were then converted to kilometers.
1.609344 kilometers = 1 mile.
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 (Washington, DC: 2004), 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), p. 3, line 34.
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.
2001-03: 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: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC: 2004), p. 77.