Commodity Shipments -- Value, Tons and Ton-Miles statistics


	Value (mil.dol.)		Tons (1,000)		Ton-miles (mil.)
Mode of transportation
	1993	1997	1993	1997	1993	1997

All modes	5,846,334	6,943,988	9,688,493	11,089,733	2,420,915	2,661,363

Single modes	4,941,452	5,719,558	8,922,286	10,436,538	2,136,873	2,383,473
Truck ¹	4,403,494	4,981,531	6,385,915	7,700,675	869,536	1,023,506
For-hire truck	2,625,093	2,901,345	2,808,279	3,402,605	629,000	741,117
Private truck	1,755,837	2,036,528	3,543,513	4,137,294	235,897	268,592
Rail	247,394	319,629	1,544,148	1,549,817	942,561	1,022,547
Water	61,628	75,840	505,440	563,369	271,998	261,747
Shallow draft	40,707	53,897	362,454	414,758	164,371	189,284
Great Lakes	(S)	1,504	33,041	38,421	12,395	13,415
Deep draft	19,749	20,439	109,945	110,191	95,232	59,047
Air (includes truck and air)	139,086	229,062	3,139	4,475	4,009	6,233
Pipeline ²	89,849	113,497	483,645	618,202	(S)	(S)

Multiple modes	662,603	945,874	225,676	216,673	191,461	204,514
Parcel, U.S. Postal Service or courier	563,277	855,897	18,892	23,689	13,151	7,994
Truck and rail	83,082	75,695	40,624	54,246	37,675	55,561
Truck and water	9,392	8,241	67,995	33,215	40,610	34,767
Rail and water	3,636	1,771	79,222	79,275	70,219	71,590
Other multiple modes	3,216	4,269	18,943	26,248	(S)	18,603
Other and unknown modes	242,279	278,555	540,530	436,521	92,581	73,376

S Data do not meet publication standards due to high sampling variability or other reasons. Z Less than half the unit of measure.
1 Truck as a single mode includes shipments that went by private truck only, for hire truckonly, or a combination of private truck and for-hire truck.
2 Excludes most shipments of crude oil.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Economic Census, Transportation, 1997 Commodity Flow Survey, series EC97TCF-US. http://www.census.gov/econ/www/cfsmain.html COMMODITY FLOW SURVEY

PURPOSE

The 1997 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) is undertaken through a partnership between the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation. This survey produces data on the movement of goods in the United States. The data from the CFS are used by public policy analysts and for transportation planning and decision-making to assess the demand for transportation facilities and services, energy use, and safety risk and environmental concerns.

COVERAGE

The 1997 CFS covers business establishments in mining, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and selected retail industries. The survey also covers selected auxiliary establishments (e.g., warehouses) of in-scope multiunit and retail companies. The survey coverage excludes establishments classified as farms, forestry, fisheries, governments, construction, transportation, foreign establishments, services, and most establishments in retail.

CONTENT

The CFS captures data on shipments originating from selected types of business establishments located in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. We requested that the respondent provide the following information about their establishments shipments: domestic destination or port of exit, commodity, value, weight, mode(s) of transportation, the date on which the shipment was made, and an indication of whether the shipment was an export, hazardous material, or containerized. For shipments that include more than one commodity, respondents are instructed to report the commodity that makes up the greatest percentage of the shipments weight. For exports, we also ask the respondent to provide the mode of export and the foreign destination city and country. For hazardous materials shipments, we ask for the correspsonding UN/NA code.

FREQUENCY

The survey was initiated for 1993. Beginning with 1997, the survey will be conducted every 5 years for years ending in "2" and "7." Commodity surveys were conducted between 1963 and 1983, but data for 1983 were not published. No data were collected for 1987.

METHODS

The 1997 CFS consists of a sample of 100,000 establishments chosen based on geographic location and industry. Each establishment selected into the CFS sample is mailed a questionnaire for each of its four reporting weeks. For the CFS '97 each sampled establishment was asked to report on a sample of individual shipments during a one week period in each calendar quarter. In addition, about 20,000 establishments received a modified questionnaire for their final reporting period,requesting additional information on transportation facilities and equipment. *

http://www.allcountries.org/uscensus/1012_commodity_shipments_value_tons_and_ton.html

These tables are based on figures supplied by the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce and are subject to revision by the Census Bureau.

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