Trucking Industry Revenue Topped $700 Billion in 2017, ATA Report Shows
The U.S. trucking industry generated $700.3 billion in economic activity in 2017, according to American Trucking Associations’ American Trucking Trends 2018 report released Aug. 20.
That represents a 3.5% increase compared with the previous year, when the industry generated $676.2 billion.
The latest American Trucking Trends report highlights the industry’s dominance in freight markets. — American Trucking (@TRUCKINGdotORG) August 20, 2018
Trucking moved 10.77 billion tons of freight, which is 70.2% of all domestic tonnage and compares with 10.42 billion tons and 70.6% in 2016.
ATA President Chris Spear said the report highlights the trucking industry’s dominance over the freight market.
Spear
“Information, when presented properly and accurately, tells a story,” Spear said. “The information in these pages highlights exactly what I tell elected officials, regulators and key decision-makers every day: Trucking is literally the driving force behind our great economy. Safe, reliable and efficient motor carriers enable businesses throughout the supply chain to maintain lean inventories, thereby saving the economy millions of dollars each year.”
The report also showed that trucking accounts for moving 69.1% of all trade between the United States and Mexico and 57.7% of U.S.-Canadian trade.
The number of employees in the industry also is rising; 7.7 million people have jobs that are related to trucking, compared with 7.4 million, according to the previous year’s report. Slightly less than half of those positions — 3.5 million — are drivers. There are 1.7 million people who are heavy-duty and tractor-trailer drivers. Minorities account for 40.6% of all driver positions, and 6.2% of drivers are women.
