GAO Compares Costs of Freight Shipment Modes

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its report comparing the costs of road, rail, and waterways freight shipments that are absorbed by the government and not passed on to consumers.  The analysis shows that on average additional freight service provided by trucks generated significantly more costs that were not passed on to consumers than the same  amount of freight service provided by either rail or water.  The report estimates that freight trucking costs that were not passed on to consumers were at least six times greater than rail costs and at least nine times greater than waterways costs per million ton-miles of freight transport.  GAO-11-134 (2/28/11).  

 

(Source: Bryant’s Maritime News)