Compare any four transportation modes by volume of goods moved in the United States and apparent strengths and weaknesses

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: The five widely recognized transportation modes are highway, water, air, rail, and pipeline. Based on Table 8.1 in the text, from a dollar volume of goods moved, highway is over four times the volume of all other modes combined. From a tonnage standpoint, highway has two-thirds of the share, with water and rail each over 10% of share. From a ton-miles perspective, rail has 37% of the business, highway has almost 30% of the market with water and pipeline at 20% or lower. Highway transportation has great flexibility but is neither the fastest nor cheapest option. Water and rail are both highly cost effective for bulky items and are somewhat limited in locations, especially water transportation. Both also suffer from relatively poor delivery reliability and speed. Air is the quickest mode of delivery but also usually the most expensive on a per-pound basis. Pipelines are suitable for fluids and lack flexibility.