Truckers hugely impact the nation. In fact, recent data reveals more than 70% of all freight in the U.S. is moved by truck drivers. Not to mention, the trucking industry contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the country’s economy. The industry is also the central lifeline between producers and consumers. Check out these 8 incredible facts about the U.S. trucking industry!

Fact #1: In 2017, the United States trucking industry generated profits higher than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than 150 nations. In fact, it  made over $700 billion, according to the CIA Factbook. If the industry were a nation, it would have ranked 33rd in GDP that year.

Fact #2: Nearly 6% of all full-time jobs in the country are related to trucking. In addition, there were about 129 million full-time jobs at the start of 2018, and approximately 7.4 million people were employed, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Fact #3: Also,Walmart employs more than 8,600 truck drivers. They stopped using third party contractors and began employing their own. As a result, they’ve hired more than 1,400 new drivers in 2018 and hundreds more since the start of 2019.

Fact #4: In 2017, U.S. trucks moved 10.8 billion tons of freight, and more than 70% of all goods transported around the country. When it comes to moving cargo around the nation, truckers lead the pack, far surpassing trains, boats, and air travel.  

Fact #5: Minorities hold 40.6% of the jobs in the U.S. trucking industry.However, overall, minorities only hold only 22% of jobs in this country.

Fact #6: Not one of the four administrators from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety has ever held a commercial driver’s license. While they manage the rules and regulations, they do not possess any background experience as a driver.

Fact #7: Grocery stores depend on long-haul truck drivers. Although it might seem like food just stays on the shelves, fact is, if long-haul truckers stopped driving, most grocery stores would start running out of food in three days.  

Fact #8: Last, but not least, truck drivers earn less than most Americans. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018, the average trucker income was about $46,800 annually.

Got any more interesting trucking industry facts to share? Comment below!