Transportation.

• Position: 2006 Alaska Forecast

Unique to this industry in Alaska is the fact that one or more of several modes of transportation serves nearly every community. Many of Alaska's smaller or rural communities do not have a road. Instead, they might receive goods for everyday living or community functions by air, barge or local truck, and those modes may sometimes rely on four-wheelers to get goods to an end consumer. There are few instances in Alaska where materials arrive at an end destination having used only one mode of transportation.

In 2005, three modes of transportation accounted for nearly 55 percent of all service: air, the greatest sector, provided more than 35 percent, trucking reached more than 15 percent and waterborne freight added another 4 percent of the overall total for the three sectors.

Linda Leafy, vice president of sales and marketing for Alaskan-owned and -operated Carlile Transportation Systems, expects more than 3 percent growth in 2006. She points out that her company is the very example of transportation diversity, offering trucking, steamship, barge, rail and air service to Alaska and throughout the Lower 48 states.

Michael Bell, executive director of the Alaska Trucking Association, forecasts that in spite of increased fuel costs, Alaska trucking companies are poised for growth in 2006, at least equal to last year.

But transportation in The...