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

Revenue:

• $603.9 billion in gross freight revenues (primary shipments only) from trucking, representing 80.9% of the nation’s freight bill in 2011. 

Tonnage:

• 9.2 billion tons of freight (primary shipments only) transported by trucks in 2011, representing 67.0% of total domestic tonnage shipped. 

Taxes:

• $33.1 billion paid by commercial trucks in federal and state highway-user taxes in 2009.
• Commercial trucks make up 10.9% of all registered vehicles, and paid $14.3 billion in federal highway-user taxes and $18.7 billion in state highway-user taxes, in 2009.
• 24.4¢ in federal fuel tax paid for each gallon of diesel fuel as of August, 2011.
• 18.4¢ in federal fuel tax paid for each gallon of gasoline as of August, 2011.
• 22.6¢ paid on average in state fuel tax for each gallon of diesel fuel as of July, 2011.
• 21.8¢ paid on average in state fuel tax for each gallon of gasoline as of July, 2011. 

Number of Trucks:

• 26.4 million trucks registered and used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2009, representing 24.4% of all trucks registered.
• 2.4 million Class 8 trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2009. (2.3 Million in 2010)
• 5.7 million commercial trailers registered in 2009. 

Mileage:

• 397.8 billion miles logged by all trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2010.
• 29.8% of all miles traveled by trucks.
• 13.4% of all motor vehicle miles traveled.
• 131.2 billion miles logged by all Class 6 - 8 trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2010.
• 99.2 billion miles logged by Class 8 trucks used for business purposes (excluding government and farm) in 2010. 

Fuel Consumption:

• 52.3 billion gallons of fuel consumed by those trucks used for business purposes in 2011.
• 37.2 billion gallons of diesel fuel.
• 14.8 billion gallons of gasoline. 
  

Number of Companies:

• According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, as of December 2011, the number of for-hire
  carriers on file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration totaled 408,782 private carriers
  totaled 662,544 and other* interstate motor carriers totaled 168,680.
  *
‘Other’ interstate motor carriers are those that did not specify their segment or checked multiple segments. All other categories were excluded.
• 90.2% operate 6 or fewer trucks.
• 97.2% operate fewer than 20 trucks. 

• Trucks transported 56.6% of the value of trade between the U.S. and Canada in 2010.
• Trucks transported 66.2% of the value of trade between the U.S. and Mexico in 2010.
• In 2010, the value of truck-transported trade 25.5% to $260.1 billion with Mexico; increased truck-transported trade with Canada grew 19.9% to $296.8 billion in 2010. 

Employment:

• 6.8 million people employed throughout the economy in jobs that relate to trucking activity in 2010, excluding self-employed.
• 3 million truck drivers employed in 2010.