Trucking plays an enormous role in the U.S. economy. The whole country is held together by trucks, and if they were to stop for but a week, the whole country would collapse.
This industry is huge. It employs millions and generates billions in annual revenue. It is the link between producers and consumers of both essential and non-essential products.
The recent pandemic further cemented the critical role trucking has in the functioning of the country. Trucking had a vital role in the transport of goods during the most critical times, and they kept on rolling to keep the shelves loaded and medicine delivered.
If people were not aware of the importance of trucking before the pandemic, now they most definitely are.
Here Are 20 Incredible Facts About Trucking
- 70% of all goods in the US are moved by truckers;
- Trucking generated $796 Billion in revenue in 2018;
- 11.49 billion tons of freight were moved in 2018 by truckers;
- If trucks stopped, the following would happen;
- Your local grocery store will be out of stock in just a few days;
- Hospitals will run out of medications in days;
- They will also run out of oxygen within a single day;
- Gas stations will be out of gas within a week;
- 100,000 miles is the average mileage a long-haul trucker logs per year. For reference, this is almost halfway to the moon and around 4 trips around the Earth;
- 5.8% of all full-time jobs in the U.S. are related to trucking (8.9 million people);
- There are 3,5 million active CDL truck drivers in the U.S.;
- However, the trucking industry reports a shortage of 60,000 drivers for 2019, which is expected to increase in the following decade;
- There are 141 million registered commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), of which 15.5 million are trucks;
- Women make only 6.7% of the industry drivers (which was 4,6% in 2010 and 5,8% in 2015);
- 40.6% of trucking jobs are held by minorities;
- Truckers spend anywhere from 240 to 300 nights away from home each year;
- Small trucking companies make the vast majority of the industry, with 90%;
- Some would argue that truckers pay an exorbitant amount of taxes and fees related to the Highway Trust Fund. They pay 35-36% of all taxes related to the Fund but comprise around 7% of all traffic in the country;
- Trucks drive on diesel fuel, but the emissions coming from these vehicles have been significantly reduced. This number has been cut by around 95% during the past two decades;
- A Class 8 Truck spends almost 12,000 gallons of gasoline per year. For comparison, a car spends around 500 per year;
- There are approximately 350,000 owner-operators registered in the U.S.;
- Almost 30% of truck drivers are between 45 and 54 years of age;
- And the average age of a truck driver is 49 years of age;
- Trucks need double the distance to stop at 65 MPH when compared to cars. Cars need 300 feet, while trucks need 600.
