Moreover, Eno excludes coastal water movements, which account for about half the total waterborne ton miles reported in the attached table and figures. This substantial difference in reported waterborne ton-miles significantly affects modal shares, most notably decreasing the percentage attributed to rail. The lower share results from definitional differences, and not from a precipitous decline in rail traffic. U.S. Major Highlights Table 1 presents each mode's share of total shipments by weight and value. The CFS confirms the growing importance of parcel, postal, and courier services, which accounted for over 9 percent of the total value of all shipments in 1993.
Local transportation is important to our nation's commerce.
The 1993 CFS reported that 30 percent of the value and 56 percent of the weight of all shipments were moved between locations less than 50 miles apart. It excludes truck and air which is added to air transportation. The commodities are specified by two-digit Standard Transportation Commodity Classification code. Food and kindred products accounted for the highest dollar amount of shipments identified in the 1993 CFS, followed by transportation equipment, while the major commodities by weight were petroleum and coal products, nonmetallic minerals, and coal. Food and kindred products were one of the top three commodities by value shipped in at least 38 states.