Commercial cargo in the United States spans billions of tons, trillions of dollars in shipment value, short local hauls, long-distance freight, exports, temperature-controlled goods, hazardous materials, and the vehicles that move them. The most comprehensive figures below describe the 2022 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS), supplemented by 2023 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) measures.
Key Commercial Cargo Statistics
The following highlights summarize distinct measures across the United States and the specified survey or administrative populations:
- 12,169,793 thousand tons of goods worth $17,996,782 million shipped in 2022 from CFS in-scope U.S. establishments.
- 90.6% of 2022 CFS tonnage moved in single-mode shipments, while single-mode shipments represented 81.7% of value in the United States.
- The average 2022 CFS shipment traveled 552 great-circle miles in the United States.
- Trucks as a single mode moved 68.1% of U.S. CFS tonnage and 73.5% of value in 2022.
- For-hire trucks moved 3,909,476 thousand tons valued at $8,062,541 million in the 2022 U.S. CFS.
- Shipments under 50 miles represented 56.4% of 2022 CFS tonnage and 33.3% of value in the United States.
- Shipments weighing 100,000 pounds or more represented 33.6% of 2022 CFS tonnage but 9.9% of value.
- Shipments under 50 pounds represented 0.7% of 2022 CFS tonnage and 17.4% of value in the United States.
- Manufacturing shipments totaled 4,949,955 thousand tons worth $7,073,495 million in 2022, averaging 666 miles.
- Mining shipments excluding oil and gas totaled 2,523,861 thousand tons worth $100,456 million in 2022.
- Temperature-controlled shipments totaled 1,237,954 thousand tons valued at $2,992,166 million in 2022.
- Hazardous materials accounted for 21.3% of 2022 CFS tonnage, or 2,590,077 thousand tons.
- Water carried 60.6% of U.S. CFS export weight in 2022, equal to 268,032 thousand tons.
- Asia and Oceania received 32.6% of U.S. CFS export value in 2022, or $316,581 million.
- Large trucks or buses were involved in 5,476 fatal roadway crashes in 2022, equal to 14.0% of fatal roadway crashes.
- The driver out-of-service rate was 6.4% in 2023, down from 6.9% in 2022 among inspected drivers.
Contents
- Commercial cargo scale and value
- Cargo by transportation mode and truck type
- Distance and shipment-weight patterns
- Industry and commodity cargo data
- Temperature-controlled and hazardous cargo
- Exports and freight-safety measures
Commercial Cargo Statistics: Scale and Value of U.S. Shipments
The 2022 CFS is a shipper-based survey of in-scope establishments with paid employees. It covers U.S. establishments but does not include imports or shipments originating in U.S. territories, and its values are not adjusted for inflation or seasonality.
The national total was 12,169,793 thousand tons of goods valued at $17,996,782 million. Single-mode shipments represented 90.6% of tonnage and 81.7% of value; shares may not sum exactly because of rounding. United States 2022 Economic Census: Transportation—Commodity Flow Survey United States: 2022
| 2022 CFS measure | Result | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Total shipments | 12,169,793 thousand tons; $17,996,782 million | U.S. CFS in-scope establishments |
| Single-mode share | 90.6% of tonnage; 81.7% of value | United States CFS |
| Average distance | 552 miles | Great-circle miles per shipment |
The average CFS shipment traveled 552 great-circle miles. Great-circle distance is not routed road mileage, so it should not be interpreted as the distance actually driven.
Commercial Cargo Statistics by Transportation Mode and Truck Type
Trucking carried the largest reported single-mode share in the 2022 CFS. Trucks as a single mode moved 8,293,501 thousand tons worth $13,222,965 million, equal to 68.1% of tonnage and 73.5% of value; the figure excludes multimode shipments.
| 2022 CFS mode | Tonnage | Value |
|---|---|---|
| For-hire truck | 3,909,476 thousand tons | $8,062,541 million |
| Company-owned truck | 2,994,372 thousand tons | $4,141,550 million |
| Customer pickup | 1,389,653 thousand tons | $1,018,874 million |
| Rail | 1,456,515 thousand tons | $568,541 million |
| Water | 435,378 thousand tons | $171,131 million |
Customer pickup represented 11.4% of tonnage and 5.7% of value, and it was newly tabulated as a mode estimate in 2022. Mode classification is shipper-reported. United States 2022 Economic Census: Transportation—Commodity Flow Survey United States: 2022
For-hire truck shipments averaged 381 great-circle miles per shipment, compared with 174 miles for company-owned truck shipments. Water movements averaged 262 miles for inland water shipments and 641 miles for deep-sea shipments, using the same great-circle convention.
A separate FMCSA FAF-based estimate for 2023 assigned 67.2% of domestic freight weight to truck, 19.5% to pipeline, 6.2% to rail, and 3.6% to water. Multiple modes and mail accounted for 2.9%, other or unknown modes for 0.4%, and air at 0.01% was excluded from the chart; FAF and CFS use different definitions and estimation frameworks. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics 2024
Commercial Cargo Data by Distance and Shipment Weight
Short-haul freight dominated tonnage, while longer and lighter shipments represented larger shares of value relative to their weight. In 2022, shipments under 50 miles totaled 6,861,767 thousand tons and $6,000,715 million, while shipments of 2,000 miles or more totaled 89,039 thousand tons and $626,763 million.
| 2022 distance band | Share of tonnage | Share of value |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 miles | 56.4% | 33.3% |
| 50–99 miles | 10.9% | 9.6% |
| 100–249 miles | 11.6% | 15.6% |
| 250–499 miles | 8.6% | 12.9% |
| 500–749 miles | 4.7% | 8.7% |
| 750–999 miles | 2.8% | 6.0% |
| 1,000–1,499 miles | 3.0% | 6.1% |
| 1,500–1,999 miles | 1.2% | 4.3% |
The distance bands use great-circle distance. The CFS also reports that shipments weighing 10,000 to 49,999 pounds represented 38.1% of tonnage and 29.9% of value; shipments weighing 50,000 to 99,999 pounds represented 18.5% of tonnage and 5.8% of value.
Small shipments had a different value profile: shipments under 50 pounds represented 0.7% of tonnage but 17.4% of value, while shipments weighing 1,000 to 9,999 pounds represented 7.0% of tonnage and 20.5% of value. United States 2022 Economic Census: Transportation—Commodity Flow Survey United States: 2022
Commercial Cargo Statistics by Industry and Commodity
Manufacturing was a major source of reported shipment volume and value in 2022, with 4,949,955 thousand tons worth $7,073,495 million and an average distance of 666 miles. Industry coverage remains limited to CFS in-scope establishments.
| Industry or commodity, 2022 | Tonnage | Value | Average distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,949,955 thousand tons | $7,073,495 million | 666 miles |
| Mining, excluding oil and gas | 2,523,861 thousand tons | $100,456 million | 48 miles |
| Food manufacturing | 614,172 thousand tons | $1,033,547 million | 421 miles |
| Beverage and tobacco manufacturing | 255,032 thousand tons | $176,681 million | 330 miles |
| Textile mills | 5,431 thousand tons | $28,107 million | 690 miles |
| Apparel manufacturing | 1,008 thousand tons | $11,006 million | 1,019 miles |
Commodity-level data shows how cargo profiles vary. Corn shipments totaled 376,699 thousand tons valued at $93,688 million and averaged 123 miles; wheat totaled 85,859 thousand tons valued at $27,653 million and averaged 358 miles.
Fresh or chilled potatoes totaled 13,574 thousand tons valued at $12,439 million and averaged 99 miles. Mixed freight totaled 433,933 thousand tons valued at $1,728,410 million and averaged 327 miles; commodity estimates may not be additive because of rounding. United States 2022 Economic Census: Transportation—Commodity Flow Survey United States: 2022
Temperature-Controlled and Hazardous Commercial Cargo Statistics
Temperature-controlled shipments totaled 1,237,954 thousand tons valued at $2,992,166 million in 2022, with an average distance of 290 miles. This is a CFS classification, and the reported value is not inflation-adjusted.
Within temperature-controlled cargo, shipments under 50 pounds totaled 9,298 thousand tons valued at $208,003 million. Shipments from 100 to 499 pounds totaled 28,100 thousand tons valued at $177,761 million.
Hazardous materials accounted for 2,590,077 thousand tons, or 21.3% of all CFS tonnage. Nonhazardous materials accounted for 9,579,716 thousand tons, or 78.7%; these are CFS classifications and may be affected by rounding.
Truck cargo included 1,307,926 thousand hazardous tons, equal to 15.8% of truck tonnage. For-hire trucks carried 633,426 thousand hazardous tons, or 16.2% of for-hire truck tonnage, while company-owned trucks carried 432,637 thousand hazardous tons, or 14.4% of their tonnage. United States 2022 Economic Census: Transportation—Commodity Flow Survey United States: 2022
Commercial Cargo Export Statistics and Freight-Safety Context
CFS exports totaled 442,260 thousand tons and $971,464 million in 2022. Export values are not adjusted for price changes, some estimates are withheld when publication standards are not met, and export mode describes the movement to the port of exit rather than necessarily the full international journey.
| 2022 CFS export measure | Value | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Total CFS exports | $971,464 million | 442,260 thousand tons |
| Truck export mode | $252,796 million; 26.0% | 91,121 thousand tons; 20.6% |
| Water export mode | $301,335 million; 31.0% | 268,032 thousand tons; 60.6% |
| Asia and Oceania destination | $316,581 million; 32.6% | 133,015 thousand tons; 30.1% |
| Canada destination | $238,090 million; 24.5% | 112,135 thousand tons; 25.4% |
| Mexico destination | $142,614 million; 14.7% | 104,343 thousand tons; 23.6% |
The export destination figures use CFS destination groups. United States 2022 Economic Census: Transportation—Commodity Flow Survey United States: 2022
Freight-safety statistics describe vehicles, drivers, and roadway crashes rather than cargo volume alone. In 2022, 5,476 fatal crashes involved large trucks or buses, representing 14.0% of 39,221 fatal roadway crashes; the large-truck definition was a gross vehicle weight rating above 10,000 pounds.
FMCSA estimated 5,892,000 nonfatal roadway crashes in 2022, including 548,000, or 9.30%, involving a large truck or bus. The category is broader than commercial-cargo-only crashes. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics 2024
Driver inspections rose from 2,471,877 in 2020 to 2,909,709 in 2023. The driver out-of-service rate declined from 6.9% in 2022 to 6.4% in 2023 among inspected drivers, not the entire commercial-driver population.
In 2023, FMCSA recorded 839,638 full Level I inspections, including 231,130 with at least one out-of-service violation. Level II walk-around inspections numbered 1,057,511, including 290,081 with at least one out-of-service violation.
For forward-looking freight coverage, FAF 5.7 provides final annual estimates for 2023 and preliminary annual estimates for 2024 by tonnage, value, ton-miles, commodity, mode, and origin-destination pair across FAF regions. The 2024 figures are preliminary estimates, not final observed totals. Freight Analysis Framework 6/25/25 Updated
The CFS is conducted every five years, while FAF and FMCSA use different estimation or administrative frameworks. CFS 2022 distance figures use great-circle miles, whereas 2017 distance figures used estimated routed miles, so direct comparisons across those cycles require care.