| SIC Codes: | 4731 4783 4922 7549 8742 4482 4489 4491 4492 4499 4512 4522 4581 4481 4013 4111 4119 4121 4131 4141 4151 4173 4212 4213 4215 4221 4222 4225 4226 4311 4412 4424 4449 4619 4613 4612 4011 |
| NAICS Codes: | 486210 482111 482112 483111 483112 488490 488510 488991 488999 491110 492110 492210 493110 493120 493130 493190 541614 486910 486990 487110 487210 487990 488111 488119 488190 488210 488310 488320 488330 488390 488410 481111 481112 481211 481212 481219 483113 483114 483211 483212 484110 484121 484122 484210 484220 484230 485111 485112 485113 485119 485210 485310 485320 485410 485510 485991 485999 486110 |
Companies in this industry provide air, rail, truck, and waterborne transportation; transit and ground passenger, pipeline, postal, courier and messenger transportation services; and warehousing and storage services. Major companies include Union Pacific, United Continental, UPS, US Postal Service, and YRC (all based in the US), as well as AP Moller Maersk (Denmark), Deutsche Lufthansa and Deutsche Post (Germany), and East Japan Railway and NYK Line (Japan).
Transportation services companies depend highly on the health of the global economy, which affects manufacturing output, commodity trade, consumer and business spending, and business and leisure travel activity. Because many costs are fixed, the profitability of individual companies is determined by efficient operations and on favorable fuel and labor costs. Large companies enjoy economies of scale in purchasing and the ability to provide more extensive services. Small companies can compete by serving local or regional areas. The US industry is fragmented: the 50 largest firms generate about 40 percent of industry revenue.
Major industries within the transportation services sector include airlines, trucking, railroads, waterborne transportation, transit and ground passenger transportation, and pipeline transportation. Other services include scenic and sightseeing transportation, transportation support activities such as air and water port operations, postal service, couriers and messengers, and warehousing and storage.