Barge net ton-miles per gallon are highly related to the percentage of backhaul. As backhaul increases from zero to 35 percent, net ton-miles per gallon increase 37 and 22 percent on the Upper and Lower Mississippi rivers, respectively. Ocean vessel net ton-miles per gallon varies widely by size of ship and backhaul percentage. The most fuel efficient route and modal combination to transport grain from Iowa to Japan depends on the size of ocean vessel, the percentage of backhaul, and the origin of the grain. Alternative routes and modal combinations in shipping grain to Japan are ranked in descending order of fuel efficiencies as follows when similar-sized ocean vessels and typical ocean vessel routes are used.
Unit trains direct to West Coast ports.
The barge movements in this analysis had an average of 35 percent backhaul. Truck-barge combination with 100 percent truck backhaul. Truck-barge combination with zero percent truck backhaul. Fuel consumption data from the metered truck were used in all estimates based on the company records had been used in place of the metered truck data, the impact would have been zero, whereas from Boone, the metered trucks would have added 0,3 gallon of fuel per ton of grain. Estimated Gallons of Fuel to transport one ton of grain from Boone, Iowa to Yokohama, Japan by alternative routes and modes.