| Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) |
| Overview |
The 1993 and 1997 Commodity Flow Surveys (CFS) were undertaken through a partnership between the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The CFS produces data on the movement of goods in the United States, including information on commodities shipped, their value, weight, and mode of transportation, as well as the origins and destinations of shipments. Data from the CFS are used for transportation planning and decision making.
For additional information on the Commodity Flow Survey visit the BTS Commodity Flow Survey website and the Census Bureau CFS website.
The 1997 CFS CD-ROM contains provides information on commodities shipped, their value, weight, size, and mode of transportation, as well as, the origin and destination of shipments of. It has data on United States, individual 50 states, and selected metropolitan areas plus remainder-of-state. The CD-ROM also has publications in PDF (view and read) format, including special reports on hazardous materials transportation and Exports.
The 1993 CFS CD-ROM contains data and information on domestic commodities shipped, their value, weight, size, and mode of transportation, as well as, the origin and destination of shipments of. It has data on the individual 50 states and the 89 National Transportation Analysis Regions (NTARs). The NTARs are based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis regions. |
| Coverage |
| CFS covers the movement of goods in the United States. The surveys of 1993 and 1997 covered business establishments in mining, manufacturing, wholesale trade, selected retail industries and selected auxiliary establishments (e.g., warehouses) of in-scope multiunit companies. CFS coverage excludes establishments classified as farms, forestry, fisheries, governments, construction, transportation, foreign establishments, services, and most establishments in retail. CFS data includes exports but not imports. |
| Availability |
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| For 2002 and 2007 CFS data click here |
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| First Year | 1993 |
| Last Year | 1997 |
| Frequency | Every 5 years |
- Data collected as a part of the Economic Census.
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| Data Tables |
| View tables in this database ... |
| ExpEx1 (1997) |
| Shipments by Export Mode of Transportation |
| ExpEx2 (1997) |
| Export Shipments by Domestic Transport Mode |
| ExpEx3 (1997) |
| Shipments by Destination Country |
| ExpEx4 (1997) |
| Shipments by Destination Country and Export Mode |
| ExpEx5 (1997) |
| Export Shipments by Commodity Group |
| ExpEx6 (1997) |
| Export Shipments by Two-Digit Commodity Code |
| ExpEx7 (1997) |
| Export Shipments by Commodity Groups and Export Mode of Transportation |
| ExpEx8 (1997) |
| Export Shipments by Selected Origin State |
| HazH1 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Mode of Transportation |
| HazH10a (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Truck for Intrastate Vs Interstate for Selected Commodities |
| HazH10b (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by For-Hire Truck for Intrastate Versus Interstate for Selected Commodities |
| HazH10c (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Private Truck for Intrastate Versus Interstate for Selected Commodities |
| HazH11A (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Truck for Intrastate Versus Interstate for Selected UN Numbers for the United States |
| HazH11b (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by For-Hire Truck for Intrastate Versus Interstate for Selected UN Numbers for the United States |
| HazH11c (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Private Truck for Intrastate Versus Interstate for Selected UN Numbers for the United States |
| HazH12 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment for Poisonous by Inhalation (PIH) |
| HazH13 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment for Packaging Group 1 |
| HazH14 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment for Export by Country of Destination |
| HazH2 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Hazard Class |
| HazH3 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment for Selected UN Numbers |
| HazH4 (1997) |
| Hazmat versus non-hazmat shipment by mode transportation |
| HazH51 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Selected State of Origin |
| HazH52 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Selected State of Destination |
| HazH61 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Hazard Class and Mode of Transportation |
| HazH62 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Hazard Class Division and Mode of Transportation |
| HazH7 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Selected UN Numbers and Mode of Transportation |
| HazH81 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by For-Hire Truck for Selected UN Numbers |
| HazH82 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Private Truck for Selected UN Numbers |
| HazH83 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Rail for Selected UN Numbers |
| HazH84 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Water for Selected UN Numbers |
| HazH85 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Air for Selected UN Numbers(PART I) |
| HazH851 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Air for Selected UN Numbers(PART II) |
| HazH86 (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment by Pipeline for Selected UN Numbers |
| HazH9a (1997) |
| Hazmat Shipment's Share of Selected Commodity shipments |
| HazH9b (1997) |
| Selected Commidities' Share of Hazardous Material Shipments |
| MarosMasc1 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation |
| MarosMasc2 (1997) |
| Inbound Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation |
| MarosMasc3 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Distance Shipped |
| MarosMasc4 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Shipment Size |
| MarosMasc5 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group |
| MarosMasc6 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group and Mode of Transportation |
| MarosMasc7 (1997) |
| Outbound Shipment Characteristics by Destination |
| MarosMasc8 (1997) |
| Inbound Shipment Characteristics by Origin |
| MarosRasc1 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation |
| MarosRasc2 (1997) |
| Inbound Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation |
| MarosRasc3 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Distance Shipped |
| MarosRasc4 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Shipment Size |
| MarosRasc5 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group |
| MarosRasc6 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group and Mode of Transportation |
| MarosRasc7 (1997) |
| Outbound Shipment Characteristics by Destination |
| MarosRasc8 (1997) |
| Inbound Shipment Characteristics by Origin |
| RegDivDasc1 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation: 1993 and 1997 |
| RegDivDasc10 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Shipment Size by Distance Shipped: 1997 |
| RegDivDasc3 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Distance Shipped: 1997 |
| RegDivDasc4 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Shipment Size: 1997 |
| RegDivDasc5 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity: 1997 |
| RegDivDasc6 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Three-Digit Commodity: 1997 |
| RegDivDasc7 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation: 1997 |
| RegDivDasc8 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Distance Shipped: 1997 |
| RegDivDasc9 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Shipment Size: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc1 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation: 1993 and 1997 |
| RegDivRasc10 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Shipment Size by Distance Shipped: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc2 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Total Modal Activity: 1997. |
| RegDivRasc3 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Distance Shipped: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc4 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation and Shipment Size: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc5 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc6 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Three-Digit Commodity: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc7 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc8 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Distance Shipped: 1997 |
| RegDivRasc9 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Shipment Size: 1997 |
| RegdivDasc2 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Total Modal Activity: 1997. |
| Sctg2Digit |
| Standard Classification of Transported Goods (SCTG): 2 Digit Code and corresponding commodities |
| Sctg3Digit |
| Standard Classification of Transported Goods (SCTG): 3 Digit Code and corresponding commodities |
| Sctg4Digit |
| Standard Classification of Transported Goods (SCTG): 4 Digit Code and corresponding commodities |
| StatesTbl1 (1997) |
| Shipments by Transport Mode |
| StatesTbl10 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by 3-Digit Commodity Code and Mode of Transportation |
| StatesTbl11 (1997) |
| Shipment Characterics by Destination and Mode of Transportation |
| StatesTbl12 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Destination and Two Digit Commodity |
| StatesTbl13 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode of Transportation |
| StatesTbl14 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity |
| StatesTbl15 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation |
| StatesTbl16 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Shipment Size |
| StatesTbl17 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Distance Shipped |
| StatesTbl2 (1997) |
| Shipments by Total Modal Activity |
| StatesTbl3 (1997) |
| Shipments by Mode-Distance |
| StatesTbl4 (1997) |
| Shipments by Mode-Size |
| StatesTbl5 (1997) |
| Shipments by Commodity |
| StatesTbl6 (1997) |
| Shipments by SCTG-Mode |
| StatesTbl7 (1997) |
| Shipments by State of Destination |
| StatesTbl8 (1997) |
| Shipments by State of Origin |
| StatesTbl9 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Three-Digit Commodity |
| Stats01 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table01 |
| Stats02 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table02 |
| Stats03 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table03 |
| Stats04 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table04 |
| Stats05 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table05 |
| Stats06 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table06 |
| Stats07 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table07 |
| Stats08 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table08 |
| Stats09 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table09 |
| Stats10 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table10 |
| Stats11 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table11 |
| Stats12 (1993) |
| The coefficients of variation or measures of reliability for Table12 |
| Table01 (1993) |
| Mode of Transportation for State or NTAR of Origin Note: Deep sea water as a single mode describes shipments moving only on the open waters of the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico.Most shipments moving primarily on the open ocean are tabulated under Inland water and deep sea. 1.Average miles and ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled,not on Great Circle Distance.Calculation of average miles per shipment excludes shipments of STCC 27, Printed Matter.See the About the Mileagessection of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. 2.CFS data for pipelines exclude most shipments of crude oil.See the Shipment Coveragesection of the Technical Documentation for details of CFS coverage. |
| Table02 (1993) |
| Total Modal Activity for State or NTAR of Origin. Note:1.Data represent activity for a given mode across single and multiple mode shipments. For example, total truck activity includes private truck and/or for-hire truck single mode combined with private and For-hire truck segments of all multiple mode trips including truck. 2.Average miles and ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled,not on Great Circle Distance.Calculation of average miles per shipment excludes shipments of STCC 27, Printed Matter.See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. |
| Table03 (1993) |
| Mode of Transportation and Distance Shipped for State or NTAR of Origin.Note: Deep sea water as a single mode describes shipments moving only on the open waters of the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico. Most shipments moving primarily on the open ocean are tabulated under Inland water and deep sea. 1.Ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled, not on Great Circle Distance. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. 2.CFS data for pipelines exclude most shipments of crude oil. See the Shipment Coverage section of the Technical Documentation for details of CFS coverage. |
| Table04 (1993) |
| Mode of Transportation and Shipment Size for State or NTAR of Origin.Note: Deep sea water as a single mode describes shipments moving only on the open waters of the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico. Most shipments moving primarily on the open ocean are tabulated under Inland water and deep sea. 1.Average miles and ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled,not on Great Circle Distance.Calculation of average miles per shipment excludes shipments of STCC 27, Printed Matter. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. 2. CFS data for pipelines exclude most shipments of crude oil. See the Shipment Coverage section of the Technical Documentation for details of CFS coverage. |
| Table05 (1993) |
| Commodity for State or NTAR of Origin.Note: 1.Average miles and ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled, not on Great Circle Distance. Calculation of average miles per shipment excludes shipments of STCC 27, Printed Matter. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation |
| Table06 (1993) |
| Commodity and Mode of Transportation for State or NTAR of Origin.Note: Deep sea water as a single mode describes shipments moving only on the open waters of the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico. Most shipments moving primarily on the open ocean are tabulated under Inland water and deep sea. 1.Average miles and ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled,not on Great Circle Distance.Calculation of average miles per shipment excludes shipments of STCC 27, Printed Matter. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation 2. CFS data for pipelines exclude most shipments of crude oil. See the Shipment Coverage section of the Technical Documentation for details of CFS coverage. |
| Table07 (1993) |
| State or NTAR of Destination for State or NTAR of Origin. Note: 1. Ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled, not on Great Circle Distance. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. |
| Table08 (1993) |
| State or NTAR of Destination and Mode of Transportation for State or NTAR of Origin. Note: Deep sea water as a single mode describes shipments moving only on the open waters of the oceans or the Gulf of Mexico. Most shipments moving primarily on the open ocean are tabulated under Inland water and deep sea. 1.Ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled, not on Great Circle Distance.See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. 2. CFS data for pipelines exclude most shipments of crude oil. See the Shipment Coverage section of the Technical Documentation for details of CFS coverage. |
| Table09 (1993) |
| State or NTAR of Destination and Commodity for State or NTAR of Origin. Note: 1. Ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled, not on Great Circle Distance. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. |
| Table10 (1993) |
| Commodity and Shipment Size for State or NTAR of Origin. Note: 1. Ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled, not on Great Circle Distance. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation |
| Table11 (1993) |
| Commodity and Distance Shipped for State or NTAR of Origin. Note: 1. Ton-miles are based on the estimated distance traveled, not on Great Circle Distance. See the About the Mileages section of the Technical Documentation for further explanation. |
| Table12 (1993) |
| State or NTAR of Destination, Commodity and Mode for State or NTAR of Origin |
| USAsc1(1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Transport Mode |
| USAsc10 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity-Size |
| USAsc11 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Three Digit Commodity for the United States: 1997 |
| USAsc12 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Four-Digit Commodity for the United States: 1997 |
| USAsc13 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Three-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation for the United States: 1997 |
| USAsc14 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation by Distance Shipped for the United States: 1997 |
| USAsc15 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation by Shipment Size for the United States: 1997 |
| USAsc2 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Total Modal Activity |
| USAsc3 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode-Distance |
| USAsc4 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Mode-Size |
| USAsc5 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity |
| USAsc6 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity |
| USAsc7 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by SCTG-Mode |
| USAsc8 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity-Distance |
| USAsc9 (1997) |
| Shipment Characteristics by Commodity-Size |
| USAscb1 (1997) |
| Reliability Measures for Shipments by Transport Mode |
| USAscb2 (1997) |
| Reliability Measures for Shipments by Total Modal Activity |
| USAscb3 (1997) |
| Reliability Measures for Shipments by Commodity |
| USAscb4 (1997) |
| Reliability Measures for Shipments by Distance |
| USAscb5 (1997) |
| Reliability Measures for Shipments by Size |
| Summary Tables |
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| National Transportation Statistics |
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| Growth of Freight Activity in the United States: Comparison of the 1997 and 1993 Commodity Flow Surveys |
| U.S. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Hazard Class, 2007 |
| U.S. Hazardous Materials Shipments by Mode of Transportation, 2007 |
| Value, Tons, and Ton-Miles of Freight Shipments within the United States by Domestic Establishments, 2007 |
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| Related Links |
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| Commodity Flow Survey |
| Census Bureau's CFS web page |
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| Terms and Definitions |
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| Air | Air service for shipments that typically weigh more than 100 pounds using commercial or private aircraft. Includes air freight and air express. |
| Average Miles Per Shipment | The 1993 CFS excluded shipments of STCC 27, Printed Matter, from calculation of average miles per shipment. This was done after determining that respondents in the 1993 CFS shipping newspapers, magazines, catalogs, etc., had used widely varying definitions of the term shipment. In the 1997 CFS, numerous efforts were made during data collection and editing to produce consistent results from establishments shipping SCTG 29, Printed Products. As a result, average miles per shipment for printed products is included in calculations for the 1997 CFS. |
| Commodity | Products that an establishment produces, sells, or distributes. This does not include items that are considered as excess or byproducts of the establishment's operation. For the Commodity Flow Survey, respondents reported the description and the five-digit Standard Classification of Transported Goods (SCTG) code for the major commodity contained in the shipment, defined as the commodity with the greatest weight in the total shipment. |
| Deep Draft Vessel | A barge, ship, or ferry operating primarily in the open ocean. (Shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway is classified with shallow draft vessels.) |
| Distance Shipped | The distance between origin and destination for a shipment. For the distance shipped intervals table, the distance is calculated based on the great circle distance between the origin and destination ZIP Code centroids. All other distance-related data (i.e., ton-miles and average miles per shipment) are based on the mileage calculations produced by Oak Ridge National Laboratories. |
| For-Hire Truck | Trucks that carry freight for a fee collected from the shipper, recipient of the shipment, or an arranger of the transportation. |
| Great Circle Distance | The shortest distance between two points on the earth's surface. |
| Great Lakes | A single mode specially created in ORNL's transportation network for the Commodity Flow Survey for mileage calculations which involve transportation via the Great Lakes between the origin and destination ZIP Codes (see the Mileage Calculations section for more details). |
| Mode Of Transportation | The type of transportation used for moving a shipment to its domestic destination. For exports, the domestic destination is the port of exit. |
| Multiple Modes | Parcel, U.S. Postal Service or courier shipments or shipments for which two or more of the following modes of transportation were used: private truck, for-hire truck, rail, shallow draft vessel, deep draft vessel, or pipeline. |
| Other And Unknown Modes | Shipments for which modes were not reported, or were reported by the respondent as Other or Unknown. |
| Other Multiple Modes | Shipments using any other mode combinations not specifically listed in the Commodity Flow Survey tables. |
| Parcel Delivery/Courier/U.S. Postal Service | Delivery services, parcels, packages, and other small shipments that typically weigh less than 100 pounds. Includes bus parcel delivery service. |
| Pipeline | Movements of oil, petroleum, gas, slurry, etc., through pipelines that extend to other establishments or locations beyond the shipper's establishment. Aqueducts for the movement of water are not included. |
| Private Truck | Trucks operated by a temporary or permanent employee of an establishment or the buyer/receiver of the shipment. |
| Railroad | Includes common carriers (for-hire carriers that hold themselves out to serve the general public at reasonable rates and without discrimination) and private railroads (carriers not open to the public at large). |
| Shallow Draft Vessels | Barges, ships, or ferries operating primarily on rivers and canals; in harbors, the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence Seaway; the Intracoastal Waterway, the Inside Passage to Alaska, major bays and inlets; or in the ocean close to the shoreline. |
| Shipment | An individual movement of commodities from an establishment to a customer or to another location of the originating company (including a warehouse, distribution center, retail or wholesale outlet). A shipment uses one or more modes of transportation including parcel delivery, U.S. Postal Service, courier, private truck, for-hire truck, rail, water, pipeline, air, and other modes. |
| Standard Classification Of Transported Goods | A commodity coding system developed jointly by agencies of the United States and Canadian governments based on the Harmonized System to address statistical needs in regard to products transported. (acronym SCTG) |
| Ton Mile | The weight times the mileage for a shipment. The respondents reported shipment weight in pounds, and mileage was calculated as the distance between the shipment origin and destination ZIP Codes. For shipments by truck, rail, or shallow draft vessels, the mileage excludes international segments. Aggregated pound-miles were converted to ton-miles (based on short tons). The ton-miles data are displayed in millions. |
| Tons Shipped | The total weight of an entire shipment. Respondents reported the weight in pounds. Aggregated pounds were converted to short-tons (2,000 pounds). The tons data are displayed in thousands. |
| Total Modal Activity | The overall activity (e.g., ton-miles) of a specific mode of transportation, whether used in a single-mode shipment, or as part of a multiple-mode shipment. For example, the total modal activity for private truck is the total ton-miles carried by private truck in single-mode shipments, combined with the total ton-miles carried by private truck in all multiple-mode shipments that include private truck (private truck and for-hire truck, private truck and rail, private truck and air, etc.) |
| Truck | Shipments using for-hire truck only, private truck only, or a combination of for-hire truck and private truck. |
| Value Of Shipment | The dollar value of the entire shipment. This is defined as the net selling value, f.o.b. plant, exclusive of freight charges, and excise taxes. The value data are displayed in millions of dollars. |
| Water | Shipments using shallow draft vessel only, deep draft vessel only, or Great Lakes vessel only. Combinations of these modes, such as shallow draft vessel and Great Lakes vessel are included as Other multiple modes. |
