US-NAFTA freight totaled $103.0 billion in June 2014 as all five major transportation modes – air, vessel, pipeline, rail, and trucks – carried more freight by value in June 2014 than in June 2013, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released Thursday by the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
Of the $9.5 billion, or 10.2 percent, increase in US-NAFTA freight from June 2013, truck freight contributed the most, $4.4 billion, followed by pipeline, $2.1 billion. The trucking increase was predominately due to an increase in the value of US-Mexico truck freight, which was up $2.9 billion, or 64.8 percent, of the total trucking increase.
Trucks carry three-fifths of US-NAFTA freight and are the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both US-NAFTA partners. Trucks carried 59.5 percent of US-NAFTA freight in June 2014, accounting for $29.8 billion of imports and $31.4 billion of exports.
Rail remained the second largest mode, moving 15.0 percent of all US-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel at 8.9 percent, pipeline at 8.0 percent, and air at 3.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.4 percent of the total US-NAFTA freight flows.
Year-to-year, the value of US-Canada freight by pipeline increased the most of any mode, growing 35.1 percent. Freight by vessel increased by 24.7 percent, air by 9.5 percent, truck by 5.3 percent and rail by 1.4 percent. Trucks carried 53.7 percent of the $57.9 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail at 15.5 percent, pipeline at 13.3 percent, vessel at 6.2 percent and air at 4.5 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.5 percent of the total US-Canada freight flows
Year-to-year, the value of US-Mexico freight by vessel rose 16.1 percent followed by truck at 10.6 percent, rail at 9.2 percent and air at 1.2 percent. Trucks carried 66.9 percent of the $45.1 billion of freight to and from Mexico, followed by rail at 14.3 percent, vessel at 12.3 percent, air at 2.9 percent and pipeline at 1.1 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.2 percent of the total US-Mexico freight flows.