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31 Trucking Industry Statistics and Trends

Trucking Industry Statistics

Acording to Truckinginfo.org, the trucking industry employs 8.9 million people with nearly 3.5 million truck drivers. Of this figure, 60,000 operate in the UPS and 9% are owner operators. An estimated 15.5 million trucks operate in the United States with 3 million tractor trailers. A look at the size of the trucking industry and related statistics are outlined below.

Size of the Trucking Industry

1. 1.2 million companies are in the United States.
2. 97% operate 20 or fewer trucks with 90% operating up to 6 trucks.
3. Over 400 billion miles are logged each year in hte trucking industry.
4. The trucking industry is relied upon for 70% of all freight transported annually in the United States.
5. $671 billion worth of manufactured goods and retail goods are transported by truck in the United States alone.
6. The number of large trucks registered in the U.S. increased 3 percent in 2014 to nearly 11 million from the previous year.
7. Of the 6 million vehicle crashes that occurred in the U.S. in 2014, 476,000 involved large trucks and buses — a 22% increase from the previous year.

Financial Statistics

6. The trucking industry produces an annual $255.5 billion in total revenue.
7. The average operating ratio for trucking companies is estimated to be 95.2 cents leaving a profit of 4.8 cents for every dollar.
8. The average driver makes 30.3 cents per mile bringing an average income of $32,000 a year.
9. An average 21.4 billion is produced annually and paid by the trucking industry.
10. Operating costs average $1.73 per mile and $83.68 per hour.
11. The trucking industry consumes 53.9 billion gallons of fuel for business.
12. The transportation industry paid $37.4 billion in federal and state highway taxes.

Trucking Industry Job Growth

A feature from CNN of the trucking industry employment boom seeking 200,000 long haul drivers.

Trucking Industry Revenue

Top industry goods transported by truck.

1. Agricultural Products 0 82.7%
2. Dairy, Fruit, Vegetables, and Nuts – 92%
3. Pharmaceutical Products – 65%
4. Lumber and Wood Products – 91.9%

Accident Statistics for Trucking Industry

1. An estimated 41,000 to 45,000 traffic deaths occur each year within the United States.
2. Commercial trucks are involved in 2.4% of all car accidents.
3. Trucks are three times less likely to be in an accident than a regular motor vehicle.
4. One person is injuried or killed in a truck accident every 16 minutes.
5. An estimated 500,000 truck accidents occur each year.
6. More than 75% of all truck driving accidents are due to the driver of the passenger vehicle.
7. 16% of all trucking accidents are due to the truck driver.
8. Nearly 5,000 people are killed in truck accidents each year. 98% of the time this results in the death of the other vehicle.

Highest States of Truck Accidents

1. California
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. Georgia
5. Pennsylvania

Truck Sales

192,000 trucks are sold in the United States each year.
280,000 trailers are sold in the United States each year.

Top 5 Road Call Statistics

A listing of the top 5 percentage of problems that occur on the road.

1. Tires – 51.3%
2. Jump or Pull Start – 7.6%
3. Air Line or Hore – 4.7%
4. Alternator – 4.1%
5. Wiring – 3.9%

Top 5 Trucking Companies By Revenue

1. United Parcel Service – $21,339,874
2. FedEx Ground – 3,912,000
3. Schneider National – 2,905,000
4. Roadway Express, Inc. – 2,844,214
5. Yellow Transportation Inc. – 2,788,078

Trucking Industry

Interesting facts about the trucking industry to include the most popular North American manufacturers for the industry. Florida and Texas are the top states for truck drivers, holding the most registered drivers.

Trucking Industry Statistics

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