Yup. Cargo capacity and cost per mile was much better (no animals to feed, no wheels or axles to break), and range was enormous, and of course the speed of transit was great (’round the clock).
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3985128/posts
It was not until the era of the RR that the cargo capacity of sailing ships was equaled. And RRs still could not cross oceans or even large rivers.