Trucking Industry at a Glance
(From American Trucking Trends 2011-2012. Arlington, VA: American Trucking Associations, Inc.)

Revenue:

• $544.4 billion in gross freight revenues (primary shipments only) from trucking, representing 81.9% of the nation’s freight bill in 2009. 

Tonnage:

• 8.8 billion tons of freight (primary shipments only) transported by trucks in 2009, representing 68.0% of total domestic tonnage shipped. 

Taxes:

• $34.3 billion paid by commercial trucks in federal and state highway-user taxes in 2009.
• Commercial trucks make up 10.8% of all registered vehicles, and paid $14.8 billion in federal highway-user taxes and $19.5 billion in state highway-user taxes, in 2009.
• 24.4¢ in federal fuel tax paid for each gallon of diesel fuel as of January 1, 2010.
• 18.4¢ in federal fuel tax paid for each gallon of gasoline as of January 1, 2010.
• 22.4¢ paid on average in state fuel tax for each gallon of diesel fuel as of July 1, 2010.
• 21.7¢ paid on average in state fuel tax for each gallon of gasoline as of July 1, 2010. 

Number of Trucks:

• 26.8 million trucks registered and used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2008, representing 24.3% of all trucks registered.
• 2.4 million Class 8 trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2008.
• 5.6 million commercial trailers registered in 2008. 

Mileage:

• 408.3 billion miles logged by all trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2008.
• 30.6% of all miles traveled by trucks.
• 13.7% of all motor vehicle miles traveled.
• 142.9 billion miles logged by all Class 6 - 8 trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2008.
• 108.6 billion miles logged by Class 8 trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2008. 

Fuel Consumption:

• 48.2 billion gallons of fuel consumed by those trucks used for business purposes in 2008.
• 33.9 billion gallons of diesel fuel.
• 14.3 billion gallons of gasoline. 
  

Number of Companies:

• According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, as of December 2010 the number of for-hire carriers on file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration totaled 378,293, private carriers totaled 620,784 and other* interstate motor carriers totaled 154,719.
  *
‘Other’ interstate motor carriers are those that did not specify their segment or checked multiple segments. All other categories were excluded.

International Trucking:

• Trucks transported 57.8% of the value of trade between the U.S. and Canada in 2009.
• Trucks transported 67.8% of the value of trade between the U.S. and Mexico in 2009.
• In 2009, the value of truck-transported trade with Mexico contracted 13.2% to $207.2 billion with Mexico; truck-transported trade with Canada fell 29.2% to $247.6 billion in 2009. 

Employment:

• 6.8 million people employed throughout the economy in jobs that relate to trucking activity in 2009, excluding self-employed.
• 3.2 million truck drivers employed in 2009.