U.S. trucking to increase its carrying load annual tonnage to 13 billion tons, a figure that will represent 69.1% of all tonnage that year.

Over the next 10 years, the ATA sees the U.S. becoming more of a finished goods manufacturer, one that imports components where they are given final assembly, predicts Bob Costello, chief economist of the ATA. In turn, this will create more need for use of rail/ intermodal by the trucking industry, which will benefit those carriers that provide drayage, those operating in the local and short-haul markets. Rail/intermodal is predicted to grow to $19 billion by 2016, up from $8.6 billion in 2004.

"The prospects for air cargo are good, considering economic growth is projected to average between 3% and 3.5% a year during the 2005-2016 period," Costellos says. "Waterborne transport and pipelines," he adds, "can be expected to enjoy satisfacatory growth."

The American Trucking Associations (www.truckline.com) says that trucking will increase its share of the nation's freight pool, continuing to be the major source of freight movement. In its study of U.S. freight transportation over the next decade, the ATA predicts that by 2016 trucking will increase its total