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Numerical data in tables

Energy Intensities of Freight:
Barge, Truck and Railroad

US Department of Energy, Center for Transportation Analysis
Transportation Energy Data Book

Note: Great care should be taken when comparing modal energy intensity data among modes. Because of the inherent differences between the transportation modes in the nature of services, routes available, and many additional factors, it is not possible to obtain truly comparable national energy intensities among modes.

Energy Intensities of Freight Modes
1970 - 2003, Table 2.14

  Truck
Heavy single-unit and combination
Railroad Barge
Domestic waterborne commerce
Year (Btu per vehicle-mile) (Btu per freight car-mile) (Btu per ton-mile) (Btu per ton-mile)
1970 24,960 17,669 691 545
1971 24,485 18,171 717 506
1972 24,668 18,291 714 522
1973 24,777 18,468 677 576
1974 24,784 18,852 681 483
1975 24,631 18,739 687 549
1976 24,566 18,938 680 468
1977 24,669 19,226 669 458
1978 24,655 18,928 641 383
1979 24,745 19,188 618 436
1980 24,757 18,742 597 358
1981 25,058 18,629 572 360
1982 24,296 18,404 553 310
1983 23,852 17,864 525 286
1984 23,585 17,795 510 346
1985 23,343 17,500 497 446
1986 23,352 17,265 486 463
1987 22,922 16,790 456 414
1988 22,596 16,758 443 361
1989 22,411 16,894 437 403
1990 22,795 16,619 420 387
1991 24,749 15,835 391 386
1992 22,608 16,043 393 398
1993 22,373 16,056 389 389
1994 22,193 16,340 388 369
1995 22,096 15,992 372 374
1996 22,109 15,747 368 412
1997 21,340 15,784 370 415
1998 21,516 15,372 365 435
1999 22,884 15,363 363 457
2000 23,448 14,917 352 473
2001 23,023 15,108 346 460
2002 23,461 15,003 345 470
2003 23,461 15,016 344 417
 
Average Annual percentage change
1970-2003 -0.2% -0.5% -2.1% -0.8%
1993-2003 0.5% -0.7% -1.2% 0.7%

Sources:

TRUCK
Btu per vehicle-mile - Heavy single-unit and combination truck energy use divided by vehicle miles
Energy Use - Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Statistics, Highway Statistics 2003, Table VM-1 and annual editions back to 1996; Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Statistics, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995. Total gallons for other trucks was the difference between total trucks and 2-axle, 4-tire trucks.
Vehicle-miles - Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Statistics, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, Highway Statistics 2003, Washington, DC, 2004, Table VM1 and annual. (Additional resources: www.fhwa.dot.gov)

RAIL
Btu per freight car-mile - Class I rail energy use divided by freight car-miles.
Both Energy use and Freight car miles - Association of American Railroads, Railroad Facts, 2004 Edition, Washington, DC, October 2004, pp. 27, 28, 33, 34, 36, 49, 51, 61.
(Additional resources: www.aar.org)

BARGE
Btu per ton-mile - Domestic waterborne commerce energy use divided by ton-miles.
Domestic Tonnage statistics - All movements between U.S. ports, continental and noncontiguous, and on the inland rivers, canals, and connecting channels of the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, excluding the Panama Canal. Beginning in 1996, fish was excluded for internal and inthrall port domestic traffic.
Energy Use - DOE, EIA, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2003, Table 23. Adjusted sales of distillate and residual fuel oil for vessel bunkering. (This may include some amounts of bunker fuels used for recreational purposes.)
Ton-miles - U.S. Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States, Calenday Year 2002, Part 5: National Summaries, New Orleans, LA, 2004, Table 1-1, p. 1-3, and annual. (Additional resources: www.wrc-ndc.usace.army.mil/ndc)


Transportation Energy Data Book
Energy Intensities of Freight: Barge, Truck and Railroad
US Department of Energy, Center for Transportation Analysis, Edition 25 - 2006

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