Sector Description
The Sector as a Whole
The Transportation and Warehousing sector includes industries providing transportation of passengers and cargo, warehousing and storage for goods, scenic and sightseeing transportation, and support activities related to modes of transportation. Establishments in these industries use transportation equipment or transportation related facilities as a productive asset. The type of equipment depends on the mode of transportation. The modes of transportation are air, rail, water, road, and pipeline.
The Transportation and Warehousing sector distinguishes three basic types of activities: subsectors for each mode of transportation, a subsector for warehousing and storage, and a subsector for establishments providing support activities for transportation. In addition, there are subsectors for establishments that provide passenger transportation for scenic and sightseeing purposes, postal services, and courier services.
A separate subsector for support activities is established in the sector because, first, support activities for transportation are inherently multimodal, such as freight transportation arrangement, or have multimodal aspects. Secondly, there are production process similarities among the support activity industries.
One of the support activities identified in the Support Activities for Transportation subsector is the routine repair and maintenance of transportation equipment (e.g., aircraft at an airport, railroad rolling stock at a railroad terminal, or ships at a harbor or port facility). Such establishments do not perform complete overhauling or rebuilding of transportation equipment (i.e., periodic restoration of transportation equipment to original design specifications) or transportation equipment conversion (i.e., major modification to systems). An establishment that primarily performs factory (or shipyard) overhauls, rebuilding, or conversions of aircraft, railroad rolling stock, or ships is classified in Subsector 336, Transportation Equipment Manufacturing, according to the type of equipment.
Many of the establishments in this sector often operate on networks, with physical facilities, labor forces, and equipment spread over an extensive geographic area.
Warehousing establishments in this sector are distinguished from merchant wholesaling in that the warehouse establishments do not sell the goods.
Excluded from this sector are establishments primarily engaged in providing travel agent services that support transportation and other establishments, such as hotels, businesses, and government agencies. These establishments are classified in Sector 56, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services. Also, establishments primarily engaged in providing rental and leasing of transportation equipment without operator are classified in Subsector 532, Rental and Leasing Services.
IBISWorld Industry Research Report
Transportation and Warehousing in the US (48-49)
Revenue 2025
$1937.4bn
Growth 2025
1.69%
Key Trends
Higher tourism spending benefited demand for passenger travel
Air transportation has surged after travel restrictions were lifted
Consumers are set to spend more time on vacations and travel
Products and Services
NAICS Hierarchy 48-49 - Transportation and Warehousing
NAICS Code 48-49 - Transportation and Warehousing sits in the 2-digit Transportation and Warehousing sector. NAICS codes can be 2- to 6-digits and the further along the hierarchy, the more detailed and specific the category will be. Learn more about the structure of NAICS codes
2 Digits: 48-49
Sector Title: Transportation and Warehousing
3 Digits 4 Digits 5 Digits 6 Digits
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4811 Scheduled Air Transportation
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48111 Scheduled Air Transportation
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4812 Nonscheduled Air Transportation
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48121 Nonscheduled Air Transportation
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4821 Rail Transportation
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48211 Rail Transportation
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4831 Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation
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48311 Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation
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4832 Inland Water Transportation
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48321 Inland Water Transportation
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4841 General Freight Trucking
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48411 General Freight Trucking, Local
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48412 General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance
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4842 Specialized Freight Trucking
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48421 Used Household and Office Goods Moving
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48422 Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Local
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48423 Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance
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4851 Urban Transit Systems
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4852 Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
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48521 Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
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4853 Taxi and Limousine Service
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48531 Taxi Service
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48532 Limousine Service
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4854 School and Employee Bus Transportation
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48541 School and Employee Bus Transportation
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4855 Charter Bus Industry
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48551 Charter Bus Industry
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4859 Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
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48599 Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
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4861 Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
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48611 Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
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4862 Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
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48621 Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
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4869 Other Pipeline Transportation
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48691 Pipeline Transportation of Refined Petroleum Products
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48699 All Other Pipeline Transportation
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4871 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land
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48711 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land
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4872 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water
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48721 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water
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4879 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other
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48799 Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other
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4881 Support Activities for Air Transportation
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48811 Airport Operations
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48819 Other Support Activities for Air Transportation
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4882 Support Activities for Rail Transportation
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48821 Support Activities for Rail Transportation
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4883 Support Activities for Water Transportation
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48831 Port and Harbor Operations
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48832 Marine Cargo Handling
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48833 Navigational Services to Shipping
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48839 Other Support Activities for Water Transportation
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4884 Support Activities for Road Transportation
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48841 Motor Vehicle Towing
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48849 Other Support Activities for Road Transportation
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4885 Freight Transportation Arrangement
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48851 Freight Transportation Arrangement
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4889 Other Support Activities for Transportation
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48899 Other Support Activities for Transportation
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NAICS Resources
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