Freight Transportation from America. The USA as a Transport Power with Traditional Freight Transport Methods

The United States of America is the only superpower and the richest country on Earth. The USA accounts for nearly a quarter of the world's GDP. The GDP of the second-largest economy, China, is about a third less than that of the USA. The country is a global leader in innovative developments. Essentially, China is where the USA has moved its manufacturing zone. However, recently, the US leadership has been actively hinting that the location of production may change.

For now, the USA, as the most solvent market, actively consumes not only Chinese products but also goods from around the world. At the same time, the USA actively sells its goods abroad. All of this requires gigantic freight transportation and the creation of a powerful infrastructure to support it.

Transportation System of the USA

The transportation system of the United States is a combination of vehicles and infrastructure for their use, ensuring the transportation of cargo within the USA, the export of American products abroad, and the distribution of goods within the American state. The territory and population of the USA are vast. In terms of area, the USA ranks 4th after Russia, Canada, and China. The population of the USA is the third largest in the world after China and India. Naturally, to service the freight transportation of the country, a huge amount of transport and equally powerful transportation infrastructure is required.

On land, the USA borders only two countries — Canada and Mexico. It has a well-established transportation connection with them. However, the global transportation connections of the United States with the world are ensured by the country's access to three oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic) and aviation.

Truck Freight Transportation in the USA

The market for truck freight transportation in the United States is astonishing. According to 2017 data, the market volume was $182 billion. Moreover, the regular annual growth of the freight delivery market by trucks exceeds 2%. The industry employs over 1 million people and nearly 389 thousand companies. The largest American trucking company has 23 thousand tractors, 77 thousand trailers, 28 thousand employees, and a turnover of over $5 billion.

Naturally, such volumes of transportation require corresponding infrastructure. The USA has the longest network of roads in the world. Their total length is about 6.5 million km. It is estimated that up to a third of the roads in the USA are in unsatisfactory condition. However, they do not satisfy the spoiled Americans. Drivers from the CIS countries would appreciate them. The fact that the remaining ⅔ of American roads are in excellent condition is acknowledged even by critics.

Aviation Infrastructure of the USA

The USA is precisely the country that can afford expensive but fast air freight transportation, and a gigantic infrastructure has been created for it. There are 5,194 airports with paved runways in the United States. An additional 9,885 airports have unpaved runways. Among the top ten busiest airports in the world, 4 are American:

• Memphis Airport tops this list.
• Anchorage Airport is in third place, having been surpassed by Hong Kong Airport.
• Louisville Airport is in ninth position.
• Miami Airport rounds out the top ten.

Water Freight Transportation in the USA

The United States has an extensive network of navigable rivers and lakes. However, internal water freight transportation in the USA began to develop actively only recently, in the mid-20th century. The main internal water transport artery of the USA is the Mississippi River, which is navigable almost throughout its length (3,770 km) thanks to hydraulic structures. The river flows through the territory of 10 American states and is actively used for freight transportation, as water transport is the cheapest.

The second largest area for freight transportation by internal water transport is the Great Lakes. After deepening the St. Lawrence River, this water freight route connects the USA with Canada and the area with the Atlantic Ocean. Other American rivers are also navigable: Columbia, Sacramento, Willamette.

However, the volumes of internal water transportation do not compare to freight transportation by sea. The USA has 300 sea ports. The largest and most well-known among them are located in:

• New York.
• Anchorage.
• Boston.
• Detroit.
• New Orleans.
• Los Angeles.
• Baltimore.
• Miami.
• Norfolk.
• Pensacola.
• Portland.
• Houston.

Railroads of the USA

It can be said that railroads in the USA are gradually being displaced by other modes of transport. Since 1916, their length has decreased from 370,902 km to 293,564 km. But it still remains the longest railway network in the world. The width of the gauge of American railroads corresponds to the main European standard — 1,435 mm.

Goods Exported by the USA

The top positions in the ranking of American export goods are occupied by: petroleum products, motor vehicles, aviation and space transport, gas turbines, and pharmaceuticals.