Modal Shares of Utility Contract Coal Tonnage, 1979, 1987, 1995, and 1997. This bar chart shows the percentage of utility coal tonnage shipped under contract by Rail, Barge, Truck, Multimode, or Other. In 1979 the percentages were: Rail 58.5%, Barge 9.5%, Truck 7.6%, Multimode 10.0%, and Other 14.5%. By 1997, Rail percentage had increased to 71.2% of the 516 million short tons of contract coal shipped, Barge increased slightly to 9.7%, Truck decreased to 5.0%, Multimode decreased to 7.3%, and Other decreased to 6.9%.

   Notes: Multimode includes shipments that use any combination of rail, truck, barge, and collier transportation. Other includes shipments for which transportation mode is unknown, as well as conveyor, tramway, and slurry pipeline.