U.S. Tonne-Kilometers of Freight

(BTS Special Tabulation) (millions)

Embedded Dataset Excel:

Dataset Excel:

Notes:

Based on the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) BTS developed a more comprehensive and reliable estimates of ton-kilometers for the Air, Truck, Rail, Water, and Pipeline modes than are presented in table 1-49M. These improved estimates are not comparable to data in table 1-49M.

1 tonne-kilometer = 0.684945 ton-miles.

Description:

KEY: U = data are not available.

^a Incudes Freight, Express, and Mail. 

^b Estimates from 1980 to 1989 come from the Association of American Railroads using ton mile values from the Surface Transportation Board’s Waybill Sample. The Waybill Sample represents all major U.S. railroads, including all Class I railroads and several short-line railroads.

^c Foreign water traffic is only measured for their travel on U.S. waterways, based on distance from coastal entrance channels to ports and waterways, or from Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River to International Boundary at St. Regis, Quebec, Canada.

Source:

Total:

1980-2011: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, special tabulation.           

1997, 2002, 2007, 2012-21: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework Version 5.5 (FAF5), available at https://www.bts.gov/faf as of May 24, 2023.

Air:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information, TranStats Database, T1: U.S. Air Carrier Traffic and Capacity Summary by Service Class, available at https://www.transtats.bts.gov/homepage.asp as of May 24, 2023.

Truck:

Difference between total of all modes, and sum of other modes.

Railroad:

1980-89: Association of American Railroads

1990-2021: Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts (Washington, DC:  Annual Issues), p. 30 and similar pages in previous editions.

Water:

1980-2020: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States (New Orleans, LA: Annual Issues), part 5, table 1-4, available at https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/About/Technical-Centers/WCSC-Waterborne-Commerce-Statistics-Center-2/WCSC-Waterborne-Commerce/ as of Jun. 14, 2022.

2021: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The U.S. Waterway System Facts, 2021 Transportation Facts & Information, pg. 3, available at https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/About/Technical-Centers/WCSC-Waterborne-Commerce-Statistics-Center-2/ as of May 24, 2023.

Pipeline:

1980-96: Association of Petroleum Pipelines, Shifts in Petroleum Transportation (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), table 1, available at http://www.aopl.org/publications/?fa=reports as of Oct. 22, 2013.

1997-2011: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, special tabulation.            

2012-21: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework Version 5.5 (FAF5), available at https://www.bts.gov/faf as of May 24, 2023.