Freight Shipments in America: Preliminary Highlights from the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey plus Additional Data

BTS Productshttps://doi.org/10.21949/15015612004PDFResearch PaperAmmah-Tagoe, FelixUnited States. Department of Transportation. Bureau of Transportation StatisticsUnited States. Department of Transportation. Bureau of Transportation StatisticsFreight transportationCommodity flowTon milesMarket valueTonnageTables (Data)The U.S. transportation system is the largest in the world, serving more than 7 million domestic business establishments and 288 million residents while employing 1 out of 7 U.S. workers. In 2002, the nation's freight transportation system transported nearly 16 billion tons of raw materials and finished goods, up from 13 billion tons in 1993. This 18-percent growth in tonnage represents an average annual increase of 1.9 percent over this period. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) estimates that this large quantity of commercial freight traveled nearly 5 trillion ton-miles in 2002, a 24-percent increase over 1993, rising at an average of 2.4 percent per year.123