Modal Split in the EU, United States and Japan, c2000 (in % of tons-km)

The above comparative modal split reflects different geographical conditions in which transport systems operate. While within the European Union and in Japan road and coastal shipping account for the great majority of tons-km, rail dominates in the United States. The continentality and the fragmentation of the American economy into specialized regions is prone to long distance rail shipments as well as the reliance on pipelines to supply the large consumption of fossil fuels, namely petroleum and natural gas. The high densities and the relatively short distances involved favor trucking while the maritime exposure they have, in terms of coastline, favors a high usage of coastal shipping in the case of the EU and Japan.