FOTW #1302, August 7, 2023: In 2021, 87% of U.S. Truck Freight Tonnage Was Shipped Less than 250 Miles

Trucks moved nearly 12 billion tons of freight domestically in 2021, with most of the shipments traveling less than 250 miles.

Vehicle Technologies Office

August 7, 2023
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Trucks moved nearly 12 billion tons of freight domestically in 2021, with most of the shipments traveling less than 250 miles. Shipments below 100 miles accounted for 44% of the total tonnage, and shipments between 100 and 249 miles accounted for 43%. This breakdown has important implications as the freight sector shifts towards electric drive and other alternative fuels where range and refueling infrastructure may be limiting factors.

Domestic Freight Tonnage Transported by Truck by Distance Band, 2021

Note: Contains only shipments associated with domestic freight moved between domestic origins and domestic destinations.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Federal Highway Administration, Freight Analysis Framework Version 5.5, Data Tabulation Tool, queried May 30, 2023.