The average 18 wheeler loaded at 80,000 lbs gets about 7 miles per gallon.

[muriel_volestrangler]

44. Actually, the UK (and the EU) uses rail far less than the USA

EU: http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/freight-transport-volume-billion-tkm-1
2010: road 1,756 billion tonne-km; rail 390 billion tonne-km

USA: http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_49.html
2003: road 1,264 billion ton-miles (2,067 billion tonne-km); rail 1,551 billion ton-miles (2,537 billion tonne-km)

UK: http://www.transport-watch.co.uk/topic-33-freight-great-britain-%E2%80%93-modal-split
2010: road 151 billion tonne-km; rail 19 billion tonne-km

Shipping accounts for a higher proportion in the EU, not surprisingly - it has to for most between the UK and Ireland and the rest of the EU, but it's also important for transport across the Med and Baltic.

So the use of road freight is roughly comparable between the EU and USA - the EU has a bit higher total population, but is more compact. But the USA makes far higher use of rail.