Trucking was the most popular mode of hauling freight in the U.S. in 2007, accounting for 71 percent of the value, 70 percent of the tonnage and 40 percent of the ton-miles, according to 2007 Commodity Flow Survey
(CFS). The survey was recently released by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovative Technology Administration Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Census Bureau.

In 2007, the U.S. freight transportation system, including rail, truck, and water, hauled 12.5 billion tons of raw material and finished goods, valued at $11.7 trillion in total. This accounts for nearly 3.3 trillion ton-miles during 2007.

Electronics and electrical and office equipment accounted for the greatest value in goods, totaling $1 trillion. Meanwhile, gravel and crushed stone weighed the heaviest at 2 billion tons. Coal was the top commodity in terms of ton-miles, accounting for 836 billion ton-miles, the survey found.

For the first time, the 2007 survey measured goods movement by industry, with shipments by manufacturing industries amounting to $5.2 trillion and 4.8 billion tons. Wholesale industries accounted for 41 percent of the total value, $4.7 trillion, and nearly 3.6 billion tons, or 29 percent of the total weight.

Shipments by rail accounted for over 1.9 billion tons of goods, and 15 percent of the total 2007 CFS tonnage, valued at nearly $436.4 billion. The rail mode was used to move goods about 1.3 trillion ton-miles totaling 40 percent of all ton-miles.

Water transport accounted for about $115 billion in goods, 404 million tons, and nearly 157 billion ton-miles.

The CFS is the primary source of national and state-level data on domestic freight shipments by American establishments in mining, manufacturing, wholesale, auxiliaries, and selected retail industries.

To view final data tables, survey documentation and methodology, visit www.bts.gov/publications/commodity_flow_survey.