The trucking industry holds a huge part of the economy in the United States and represents one of its largest revenue streams by moving 11 billion tons of goods (around 70% of all goods) —around the whole country. Without this crucial industry, we would face a huge food shortage within less than 72 hours, manufacturing would shut down within just a few hours, and believe it or not, hospitals will be left without drugs and will not be able to receive their basic and very important medical supplies.
Moreover, it not only leads to billions and billions in revenue but employs millions of truck drivers too.
This industry today has a pivotal role because it touches the operations of just about every industry in America, making it the ultimate backbone of the US nation. If that isn't enough to get you excited about this challenging, heavy-duty industry, here are 33+ cool facts about trucking that will definitely catch your attention.
Let’s start with…
Trucking industry: General outlook
- The number of truckers in the U.S. is around 3.5 million.
- The trucking industry moves over 93.5 million highway miles during the whole year. In the federal highway taxes, around 18 billion dollars were paid only by the commercial trucks.
- Trucks are used for intrastate and interstate transport of different goods. The trucking industry is also used for conveying heavy cars and furniture.
- Trucks are also given a specific license to move between countries. In 2019, 67.7% of goods were transported using trucks between Canada and the U.S.
- The big trade between the US and Mexico was done using trucks.
- In 2019, the number of truck drivers hops up to 83.1%, and 6.7% of the truck drivers were actually women.
- Before automobiles arrived in this world, most goods were carried through horse-driven forces, vehicles, or railroads.
- In 1930, the trucking industry began to gain momentum after World War I as there was a lot of construction of roads.
- For the public's protection, the trucks had to be limited to specific hours, as they would derange people's security and normal functioning using the roads and other automobiles.
- Back in the 1950s and 1960s, citizens contributed with their taxes to build highways and freeways, and so the trucking industry became the primary form of transport to carry freight from one place to another. This means that trucks began to use roads less and highways more.
Trucking industry: Market size
- Around $30 billion in the economic industry is contributed by the truck drivers themselves. 91% of lumber, 65% of pharmaceutical things, 92% of foods, and 83% of farming products are transported by our truck drivers.
- Freight age tonnage has increased by 70% in the U.S.
- The number of trucks registered in the United States from 2000 to 2020 has grown by roughly 85 percent.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that the number of truck drivers will statistically increase by 21% by the end of 2022.
- Many of the trucking companies, around 97%, are actually small businesses, and most of the trucks have owner-operators.
- The trucking industry is definitely essential in today's world. It pumps nearly $40 billion into the American economy.
Is trucking a growing industry or not?
- The trucking industry is growing at full speed.
- Only 4.9% of the truck drivers are under the age of 24.
- The total percentage of truckers in the age range of 45-54 is 29%.
- With the advantage of different forms of transportation and automation, the trucking industry has seen its blooming days in the past, compared to today.
- There has been a big deficiency in terms of truck drivers, and people are not settling for that profession as much as they used to in the past.
Trucking industry: Licenses and protocols
- A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) is required so a driver can drive buses and large trucks.
- Concrete, dirt, rocks, and other construction material are transferred and carried by trucks.
- Carrying and handling such large equipment takes a lot of knowledge and training. 25. The government regulates all driving hours of the truckers of heavy trucks.
- The hours of the service should be obeyed by the commercial motor vehicle drivers.
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) makes the rules for interstate commercial driving, and this administration also handles the safety of trucks and their drivers on the highway.
- The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) rules with all transportation sectors such as shipping, airlines, trucking, and railroads.
- FMCSA is actually a branch of USDOT.
- The emission with the standards was revised in 2006 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to improve air quality and lessen air pollutants.
The worthiness of the trucking industry
- The productivity of so many companies in the US increased thanks to the trucking industry.
- Satellite navigation and communication eased the labor done by truck drivers.
- In the past, because of the dark highways, there used to be many night accidents. Now, the number of accidents that occur is significantly lower.
- Drivers' time and effort are reduced by a considerable amount.
Final thoughts
The trucking industry in the United States is a crucial one and it will definitely stay that way. On the other hand, truck drivers are deficient these days, and we all know that truckers have an important role in the trucking industry. There are some people who say that it doesn't matter which company you work for as long as you get paid well and have a good schedule. But others say that it's important to find a company with a good culture and great benefits because those things will make your day-to-day life easier and more enjoyable. We would advise you to take your time and find the best trucking company that suits your needs and makes you feel like that's where you belong.
So, if you feel like you are ready for the challenge and If you're even thinking about becoming a truck driver, make sure to find the best owner-operator trucking jobs in the US.
Road Legends Team
Post created: June 03 ,2022
Post updated: June 21 ,2023