Before the COVID-19 pandemic took over the U.S. economy, the trucking industry was rolling, according to data compiled in the American Trucking Associations’ “ATA American Trucking Trends 2020.”
The annual data compendium — which shows the industry moved 11.84 billion tons of freight, generating $791.7 billion in revenue last year — is now available for purchase and download through ATA Business Solutions.
“Despite a challenging year, the data contained in ‘American Trucking Trends’ shows the industry was in good shape entering the global pandemic,” according to ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “‘Trends’ continues to be an indispensable, one-stop resource for decision-makers to have the latest information about the state of the trucking industry.”
Among the other findings in the publication:
In 2019, trucking’s revenues accounted for 80.4% of U.S. freight.
Trucks moved 67.7% of surface freight between the U.S. and Canada and 83.1% of cross-border trade with Mexico, for a total of $772 billion worth of goods.
There were 7.95 million people with trucking-related jobs in 2019, a 140,000 increase from 2018; this includes 3.6 million professional drivers.
Women make up 6.7% of the industry’s drivers and minorities account for 41.5% of truckers.
91.3% of carriers operate fleets of six or fewer trucks; and 97.4% operate 20 or fewer vehicles.
“Sound policy relies on sound data; and American Trucking Trends contains the kind of up-to-date, reliable data that policymakers need to do their job,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “That is why ‘Trends’ consistently is found in the offices of elected officials, regulators, and industry executives across the country.”
