30+ Trucking Statistics & Fact Must Know (2024)
Trucking is an essential part of our economy and supply chain because it delivers goods and products that keep our daily lives running smoothly.
But just how far-reaching is the trucking industry today?
With that in mind, we’ll cover trucking statistics that demonstrate their influence on freight delivery, the workforce, and economic growth.
Trucking Industry Statistics: Key Numbers
- There are 3.5 million truckers in the U.S.
- 9 million people work in the trucking industry.
- There are 1,102,799 for-hire trucking carriers in the U.S.
- 1 out of every 9 drivers is an owner-operator (O/O).
- 90% of trucking companies run 6 trucks or fewer.
- 70% of all freight is delivered by truck drivers.
- Truck drivers cover over 140 billion miles annually.
- Truck drivers deliver almost 11.5 billion tons of freight each year.
- Truck drivers deliver goods worth over $1.2 trillion.
- The economy is the top concern in the trucking industry, with an index score of 100.0.
Source: (Trucking, Twitter, Trans Solutions Inc, Zippia, Trucking Info, Next Big Future, JX Enterprises, GlobeNewswire.)
Global Trucking Industry Market Size
The global trucking industry is growing fast with the market size set to rise every year. Here’s a quick look at what the future holds:
| Year | Market Size (Billion) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $745.11 |
| 2023 | $825.51 |
| 2024 | $914.58 |
| 2025 | $1,013.26 |
| 2026 | $1,122.59 |
| 2027 | $1,243.72 |
| 2028 | $1,377.92 |
| 2029 | $1,526.6 |
| 2030 | $1,691.32 |
| 2031 | $1,873.81 |
| 2032 | $2,075.99 |
Source: Precedence Research
Truckers Demographics
Demographics of truck drivers reveal diversity in age, gender, and ethnicity. Here are the demographic details of truck drivers:
Truck Drivers Age Breakdown
18-24 years: 8%
25-34 years: 17%
35-44 years: 21%
45-54 years: 26%
55-64 years: 21%
65+ years: 7%
Gender Distribution:
Male: 86%
Female: 14%
Ethnicity Distribution:
White: 61.5%
Hispanic or Latino: 18.3%
African-American: 16.6%
Asian: 3.6%
Source: (Truck Insurance Nitic, Zippia)
Truck Driver Shortage Statistics
Truck driver shortages have been steadily increasing over the years without signs of improvement. Below is the annual data that reflects this problem:
| Year | Truck Driver Shortage (in 1,000s) |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 9 |
| 2012 | 14 |
| 2013 | 19 |
| 2014 | 41 |
| 2015 | 45 |
| 2016 | 50 |
| 2017 | 60 |
| 2018 | 59 |
| 2019 | 54.5 |
| 2020 | 80.5 |
| 2021* | 89 |
| 2022* | 97 |
| 2023* | 106 |
| 2024* | 115 |
| 2025* | 133.5 |
| 2026* | 142.5 |
| 2027* | 152.5 |
| 2028* | 162 |
* denotes forecasted figures.
Source: Statista
Trucking Accident Statistics
Truck accidents in the United States are a major concern with high rates of incidents and severe consequences. The impact of these accidents is reflected in key statistics:
- There are approximately 388,000 truck accidents in the United States every year.
- 28% of these accidents result in injuries.
- 11% of these accidents are fatal.
- 15% of truck accidents involved pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorcyclists.
- 68% of truck accidents involved occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles.
- A total of 4,714 people died in large truck crashes in 2021.
- There were 13.49 fatal large truck crashes per million people in the United States in 2020, a 27-percent increase from 10.6 in 2010.
- The number of injuries in large-truck crashes increased by 5% in 2021.
Source: (Frost Law Firm, Gary Martin Hays, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Maryland Injury Attorney Blog, FMCSA, Injury Facts.)
Share of Total Average Marginal Costs For Trucking Carriers
Trucking companies have many costs that add up to their overall average costs. The wages and fuel costs are two of the biggest ones. Here’s how these costs break down across different areas:
- Driver wages: 34%
- Fuel costs: 22%
- Truck payments: 15%
- Repair & maintenance: 9%
- Driver benefits: 10%
- Insurance: 5%
- Tolls & tires: 2% each
- Permits & licenses: 1%
Source: American Transportation Research Institute
Top Trukcing Industry Concerns Statistics
The trucking industry faces challenges across various areas such as economy, driver shortage, and safety. Consider the following top concerns for the sector:
- Economy: 100.0.
- Truck parking: 94.0.
- Fuel prices: 87.7.
- Driver shortage: 81.8.
- Driver compensation: 76.1.
- Lawsuit abuse reform: 67.5.
- Driver distraction: 59.4.
Source: American Transportation Research Institute