5 Interesting Facts About the Trucking Industry

Did you know that more than seventy percent of all goods in the United States spend time on a truck?

The trucking sector is an important pillar of the country’s economy. In fact, trucks are used to deliver everything from food to medicine, clothing to raw materials, and vehicles to a whole host of other consumer products.

If the coronavirus pandemic did anything, it showed us how valuable trucks and their drivers are to the economy. If you’d like to learn more interesting facts about the trucking industry, then keep on reading!

1. Gross Freight Revenues and Tonnage Through the Roof

According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry racked up gross freight revenues of $732.3 billion in 2020. This represented 80.4% of the country’s freight bill.

In the same year, freight tonnage transported by trucks weighed in at 10.23 billion tons, or 72.5% of total domestic tonnage shipped.

Truckers companies transport loads of all sizes. Whether moving huge loads or time-sensitive smaller loads that are suited for hot shot trucking, companies in the industry move goods all over the country.

2. Millions of Employees in the Industry

Another trucking industry fact that’s important to know is that millions of people are employed at trucking companies. Some work at trucking businesses, while others operate as independent contractors.

In fact, there were 3.36 million truck drivers in 2020. That figure was down year-over-year by 6.8%.

The American Trucking Association adds that the number of people employed in positions related to trucking activity was 7.65 million in 2020. So, millions of people across the country rely on the sector to make a livelihood.

3. Tons of Trucking Operators

As of February 2021, there were almost 997,000 for-hire carriers, close to 814,000 private carriers, and a little over 83,200 other interstate motor carriers. So, there are tons of trucking businesses operating in the country.

4. U.S.—Canada and U.S.—Mexico Business Is Major

The U.S. trucking business and shipping industry aren’t limited to the U.S. There’s also significant U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico business.

International trucking is big business. In 2020, for example, trucks transported almost 71% of U.S.-Canada surface trade value. And trucks transported nearly 84% of U.S.-Mexico surface trade value in 2020.

The worth of truck-transported trade was down 10.1% to $385.7 million with Mexico in 2020. Meanwhile, truck-transported trade with Canada declined almost 10% to $309 billion in 2020.

5. Average Salary Approaching $70K

According to one source, the average base salary for a truck driver in the U.S. is $69,114 annually. The types of trucking will factor into pay.

The average salary for truckers with less than one year of experience is $64,895, while the average salary for truckers with north of 10 years of experience is $78,039, noted the same source.

Trucking Industry Facts—and Nothing But the Facts!

The above trucking facts show that the U.S. trucking industry plays a vital part in the economy. Without truckers and the work they do, the goods that people and companies rely on would be hard to access.

Do you want to read more interesting content? Check out our other articles on our site.