There are nearly 2 million semi trucks in operation in the U.S., and around 5.6 million semi trailers. Semi trucks and semi trailers are also known as tractors and tractor trailers, respectively.Apr 5, 2014
New Report Finds Trucking Industry Revenues Topped $700 Billion | American Trucking Associations.Aug 19, 2021
Categories: Port Drayage, Trucking. Who Are They? There are approximately 350,000 owner operators driving in the United States today, moving our freight across the country day after day.Jun 18, 2015
The trucking companies, warehouses and private sector in the U.S. employs an estimated 8.9 million people employed in trucking-related jobs; nearly 3.5 million were truck drivers. Of this figure UPS employs 60,000 workers and 9% are owner operators.
A division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates nearly all aspects of the trucking industry. In 2018, 885 large truck occupants died, while 4,678 people died in collisions with large trucks.
States That Have the Most Truck Drivers
- Texas comes in at the top of the list with over 172,000 people employed as truck drivers.
- California is second on the list with over 130,000 truck drivers.
- Pennsylvania is a state that may surprise some people, but it comes in third for the most truckers in the country.
So, how many truck drivers are needed in the USA to keep the economy afloat? The American Trucking Association (ATA) has reported the trucking industry will need to hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers in the next decade (or about 110,000 drivers per year) to keep up with the current industry demand.Apr 19, 2021
Trucking is responsible for most of the overland freight movement in the United States, with the market being worth 791.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. At that time, there were over 947,000 truck drivers employed in the U.S., which is less than the industry requires.Sep 11, 2020
Trucking accounts for over 70 percent of freight in the United States. This means trucking generates more revenue than any other industry in the United States. Nearly 6 percent of all full-time jobs in America are in the trucking industry, which generates over $700 billion every year.
The government estimates that there are between 300,000 and 500,000 long-haul truckers in America. And according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, state governments issue more than 450,000 new commercial driver's licenses every year.May 25, 2021
Four of the five transportation-related occupations that employ the largest number of workers involve driving and account for 35.7 percent (3.6 million employees) of transportation and material moving workers (figure 4-5): Heavy-duty truck drivers (1.8 million; 19.7 percent)Feb 14, 2021
The mandate takes in trucks ranging from pickups that can haul three-quarters of a ton to semi trucks that fully loaded weigh 80,000 pounds. The air board said about 75,000 such trucks are sold each year.Jun 25, 2020
U.S. light truck retail sales from 1980 to 2020 (in 1,000 units)
| Characteristic | Light truck sales in thousands |
|---|
| 2019 | 12,241.4 |
| 2018 | 11,914.7 |
| 2017 | 11,060.9 |
| 2016 | 10,594 |
In 2018 there were 825,000 Class 6 vehicles operating in the U.S., 1.33 million Class 7 vehicles, 3.4 million Class 8 vehicles and 4.6 million trailers.Jan 31, 2019
Truck Drivers Salaries Comparison
| Trucker Job | Median Pay | Reported High Income |
|---|
| LTL Line-Haul Trucker | $48,000 | $72,000 |
| OTR Freight Trucker | $48,000 | $62,000 |
| Intermodal Trucker | $48,000 | $72,000 |
| Flatbed Tractor Trailer Drivers | $48,000 | $72,000 |
2 Fast Lane blog: "According to the (CDC), the average life expectancy for a commercial truck driver is 61 years. That is 16 years lower than the national average, and I think you'll agree that gap is startling."Jul 12, 2012
Semi Truck Driver Salary
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|
| Top Earners | $74,000 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $30 |
| Average | $54,348 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $39,000 | $19 |