Trucking facts that will blow your mind
Spend any time on America’s roads and you’ll quickly understand how vital trucking is as an industry that literally drives the nation. Business Insider recently published a list titled, “11 incredible facts about the $700 billion dollar US trucking industry.”
The article inspired us to take a closer look at four of those amazing statistics:
5.8 percent of all full-time American jobs are related to trucking. The United States economy has experienced robust growth over the past decade. Even with a pandemic, items still need to be moved from one place to another. As commerce continues to expand internationally and technologies like 5G and the IoT expand, the need for transportation is only going to continue to grow. In 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 5.8 percent of full-time jobs are a direct result of trucking. That’s nearly 7.4 million people!
In 2017, trucks moved 10.8 billion tons of freight. Yes. You read that right.10.8 billion with a b. If that’s not enough to make your jaw hit the floor, consider this: Thanks to the rise of e-commerce and last-mile delivery challenges, that number is going to continue to rise in coming years.
More than 40 percent of jobs in the trucking industry are held by minorities. The trucking industry is a proud, equal opportunity employer. The last few years, an array of trucking outfits have faced employment challenges, but that’s starting to change thanks to inclusive hiring practices. Data suggests more women and minorities are pursuing trucking careers and getting hired.
Trucks move 70 percent of transported goods around the US. Think about that for a second. If trucking didn’t exist, only 30 percent of goods in grocery and big-box stores would make it to their intended destination. Trucks are our lifelines, and we’d be hard pressed without them.
Which of these trucking facts did you find most surprising?
