Coal was the leading commodity hauled by rail across the North American market, reaching over 3.85 million carloads in 2023. This was an increase of close to 4 percent compared to 2021, when the coal industry was continuously affected by the economic downturn, downward slope in demand, and manufacturing standstill caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This recovery was visible across other commodity types: the volume of motor vehicles and parts hauled across the region rose by some 12.3 percent between 2022 and 2023. Chemicals were the second largest commodity transported by rail across North America.
Carloads hauled by North American railways from 2020 to 2023, by type
(in 1,000 units)
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AAR. (January 5, 2024). Carloads hauled by North American railways from 2020 to 2023, by type (in 1,000 units) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 07, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1252521/north-american-rail-freight-carloads-by-commodity/
AAR. "Carloads hauled by North American railways from 2020 to 2023, by type (in 1,000 units)." Chart. January 5, 2024. Statista. Accessed June 07, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1252521/north-american-rail-freight-carloads-by-commodity/
AAR. (2024). Carloads hauled by North American railways from 2020 to 2023, by type (in 1,000 units). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 07, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1252521/north-american-rail-freight-carloads-by-commodity/
AAR. "Carloads Hauled by North American Railways from 2020 to 2023, by Type (in 1,000 Units)." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1252521/north-american-rail-freight-carloads-by-commodity/
AAR, Carloads hauled by North American railways from 2020 to 2023, by type (in 1,000 units) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1252521/north-american-rail-freight-carloads-by-commodity/ (last visited June 07, 2025)
Carloads hauled by North American railways from 2020 to 2023, by type (in 1,000 units) [Graph], AAR, January 5, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1252521/north-american-rail-freight-carloads-by-commodity/
