Modes of Transportation Comparison
In the chart below the six main modes of transporting products are compared for each of the key transportation features.
Also shown are the estimated percentages of product movement (i.e., freight traffic) that occurs within the United States for the five modes that handle tangible products.
These percentages are taken from the 2006 Statistical Abstracts of the United States and reflect estimates as of 2001.
| Mode | Product Options | Speed | Accessibility | Cost | Capacity | Intermodal Capability | % of US Product Movement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck | Very Broad | Moderate | High | Moderate | Low | Very High | 28% |
| Railroad | Broad | Slow | Moderate | Low | Moderate | Very High | 41% |
| Air | Narrow | Fast | Low | Very High | Very Low | Moderate | <1% |
| Water | Broad | Very Slow | Moderate | Very Low | Very High | Very High | 13% |
| Pipeline | Very Narrow | Very Slow | Low | Low | Very High | Very Low | 17% |
| Digital | Very Narrow | Very Fast | Very High | Very Low | Moderate | Very Low | ? |
Comments