50 Interesting Facts about Trucking and Logistics
If you are in the trucking or logistics industry, then you know that it is constantly changing and evolving. As technology advances and new processes are developed, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and facts. In this blog post, we will share some interesting facts about trucking and logistics that you may not have known before. We hope that you find these facts helpful and informative!
1. Trucking companies move more than 10 billion tons of freight each year in the United States alone. That's the equivalent of more than 22 million semi-trucks hauling loads.
2. The trucking industry employs more than 3 million people in the United States, making it one of the largest employers in the country.
3. Truck drivers log an average of 120,000 miles per year. That's the equivalent of driving around the world nearly three times! AJG actually hits double that number due to their team freight being so extensive !
4. Trucks haul more than 70% of all freight in the United States. That includes everything from food to furniture to automobile parts.
5. The trucking industry is responsible for $671 billion in economic activity each year. That's almost 4% of the entire U.S. economy!
6. Trucking is a low-emissions industry, with trucks emitting 20% less greenhouse gases than they did in 1970. And, new technologies are continually being developed to further reduce emissions.
7. The United States of America sold 0.5 million industrial trucks in 2018. The figure increases by 20% every year. About 12.2 million light trucks got sold in the same period.
8. There are 895,670 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the US alone. It was barely 1.8 million in 2006.
9. The drivers’ wages cost 33% of the freight trucking costs in the US.
10. The North American logistics market is worth 1.4 trillion euros.
11. There are five elements of logistics; Storage, warehousing and materials handling, Packaging and unitization, Inventory, Transport, Information and control.
12. Logistics carry 91% of lumber and wood— 83% of all the farming & agriculture produce— 92% of the prepared dairy, foods, & canned items— and 65% of the pharmaceutical essentials.
14. Small trucking businesses cover 90% of the market pie chart.
15. The US trucking industry operates 16 million heavy-trucks.
16. If you piled up all the US trucks over one another— they would reach the moon.
17. If you add up the total distance covered by all the trucks in a year— it would be mind-boggling 300 billion miles. And guess what— with those numbers, you could make 652173 roundtrips from the moon.
18. All the trucks combined consume 5.8 million barrels of oil every day. It was hardly 1.6 million barrels of oil per day in 2010.
19. The trucking industry still has a shortage of drivers. The giants like Amazon and Walmart have to suffer from their delivery deadlines due to a lack of drivers. AJG has not felt this struggle due to having a niche that is driver focused keeping our teammates in mind so they can be home on time.
20. Clothing, food, furniture, electrical goods and machinery goods are the top transported goods in America.
21. The 10 year industry growth estimate of the trucking industry is 21%.
22. There are 200,000 female long-haul drivers and counting..
23. Trucks need 40% more time to stop than cars.
24. 90% of the food Americans eat is hauled by refrigerated trucks.
25. 1 out of every 14 jobs in the U.S. is created or directly affected by the trucking industry.
26. The trucking industry consumes roughly 50 billion gallons of gasoline every year, which is nearly 13% of the country's total fuel consumption.
27. Over-the-road truck engines are designed to travel more than one million miles before being retired, whereas car engines are expected to go just 200,000 miles. With weekly maintenance only the best and most efficient trucking companies make it this far.
28. Charles Freuhauf invented the first tractor-trailer over one hundred years ago in 1914 when a customer wanted a vehicle that could haul a boat
29. The majority of the trucking companies in America are small businesses.
30. 9 million people in the U.S. work in logistics.
31. The world's largest cargo ship could carry the Eiffel Tower.
32. Companies that use dedicated logistic companies as their transportation consultants save an average of 13 percent on shipping costs every year.
33. 88 percent of shippers in the United states think that communication, flexibility and openness are the best qualities in making a successful partnership. AJG is able to find the best paths to those solutions and give the reliability that keeps customers in our team.
34. Barcodes were originally used to label cars on the railroads. Due to their success, they were expanded for use in supermarkets in 1974 and have been used across retail, logistics, and many other industries since.
35. Which state has the biggest trucking industry? Texas comes in at the top of the list with over 172,000 people employed as truck drivers. 15 of every 1000 jobs in Texas belongs to truckers.
36. The trucking industry is booming and expected to increase by 21 percent by 2022; and since this is a multi-billion dollar industry with stable pay and job security, it is a worthy career choice to consider for young adults or anyone looking for an exciting career change.
37. 29% of truck drivers are between the ages of 45-55, while only 5% are between 20-24 years old!
38. Famous truck manufacturer, Mack trucks, was founded in 1900 but didn’t make it’s first truck until 1907. Other trucks from this time included vehicles made by Ford, International harvester, Buick and Avery.
39. Many economics and planners estimate the amount of total freight tonnage will grow to 20.6 billion tons by 2030 which is a 25% increase. Freight revenues will grow over 50%.
40. The word “logistics” comes from a 19th-century French word, “logistique.” This French word was originally exclusively associated with the transportation of soldiers and military supplies until it was later adopted for civilian applications.
41. American businesses spend big money every year to ship their products. Companies spend approximately $1.5 trillion on logistical expenses, which is equal to almost eight percent of the entire U.S. GDP.
42. Even with so many people already working in the industry, there are still a lot of job opportunities. Each year, 300,000 new logistic-related jobs are created.
43. Supply chain management (SCM) is an important aspect of every business today. Surprisingly, the first person widely credited with using SCM is Henry Ford, who designed and built his factories to make it as easy as possible to manage his inventory and shipping needs.
44. Air freight is more than four times as popular as sea freight. 9.5 billion tons of trade goods are shipped by boat worldwide each year, but over 42 billion tons of goods are transported by air. Air freight is however extremely expensive when it comes to volume logistics and the industry is moving away until costs can return to a feasible amount
45. The U.S. trucking industry’s total operating revenue exceeds the $385 billion mark.
46. The logistics industry puts more than $30 billion into the economic system through drivers and workers.
47. Technologies, such as blind spot monitoring, automatic transmissions, braking assistance and variable cruise control, are all slated to become more standard within the next 10 years. The industry is also making strides with electric trucks.
48. Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) changes slated for end of the year. For the past two years, the industry has been working to comply with the Department of Transportation’s regulations around ELDs. ELDs are intended to help improve driver safety, while automating the process of recording driving hours.
49. USA Census Bureau estimated that 35% of the professional drivers who have been driving trucks for more than seven years have an extended education, and are trained in driving professions.
50. The next most common transportation methods for freight are rail, vessel, air, and pipeline, which, added together, don’t come close to the weight that trucks move, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
As the trucking and logistics industry continues to grow, there are many exciting career opportunities available for those looking for a stable and well-paying job. With so much growth expected in the coming years, now is a great time to consider a career in this field. From fascinating facts about the industry's history to predictions about its future, there is much to learn about trucking and logistics. Whether you're already working in the industry or considering a career change, brush up on your knowledge with these 50 interesting facts.
If you have any questions in mind regarding trucking and logistics, feel free to send us an email.
andrew@ajgtransport.com
Dispatch@AJGTransport.com
AJG Transport Operation Team