Trucking Industry Continues to Grow

What’s the most dominant form of freight transportation in the U.S.? You guessed it – trucking. According to an American Trucking Association (ATA) American Trucking Trends 2014 report, 69.1 percent of all domestic freight got from point A to point B through the trucking industry, which is a nearly two percentage point jump over 2012 numbers.

When it comes to freight revenue, trucking is also capturing the bulk of it – 81.2 percent, which is a jump of about 1.5 percent from the previous year. Furthermore, when it comes to trucking across international lines, 55.4 percent of our trade with Canada is freighted in and out with trucks. In Mexico, 65.4 percent of all trade is through the trucking industry.

No doubt, trucking is a vital part of the lifeblood of the economy in the U.S. Think about how much diesel fuel it takes to move all that freight – 37 billion gallons. That doesn’t sound very “green,” does it? Well, keep in mind that in the last decade, trucks have gotten much cleaner. In fact, there is an 88 percent drop in sulfur dioxide emissions coming from trucks; a 48 percent drop in nitrous oxide and a 32 percent drop in particulate matter.

Even despite the recession and the toll it took on state budget, making road repairs a luxury item, trucking continues to thrive. Trucking is more efficient than what the railroad can offer; consider that it takes trucking nine days to move all of what was moved by rail throughout the entire year of 2013.

The ATA included some interesting particulars in its recent trends report, including one that says if you connected all the loads trucks delivered in 2013, it would stretch from the Earth to the Moon – 11 times.

While the industry employed 7 million people in 2013, there is a big shortage right now that is impacting the industry. Many of the Baby Boomers who enjoyed a lifetime on the road in the trucking industry are retiring. There are about 10,000 people in America turning 65 everyday, and some of them are truckers.

It’s not a stretch to say there are a large amount of jobs available in the trucking industry. By some accounts (CNNMoney), there are around 200,000 trucking jobs available right now for long haul truckers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says there will be a need for about 330,000 truckers by 2020. Truckers can expect a starting pay of around $37,900, which is about $4,000 more than the average wage for all jobs.

If you want to become one of the highest paid drivers in the driveaway business, come to Spirit Miller Driveaway Services where you’ll find hours that fit your needs and a route that suits your preference. At Spirit Miller, we focus on speed and quality of service. We handle our clients’ products like they are our own. We’ve got an excellent safety record and some of the best drivers on the road. Contact us today and become a part of our team.