The trucking industry makes up 70% of the way that Americans get their goods every year. That’s a staggering amount, and as such, here are some fun facts regarding truck driving that you may not have known.
Truck drivers either find loads if they own their own truck, or they work for a large trucking company, but did you know that only 6% of truck drivers are women? If you are a woman and enjoy driving, this is a great industry to break into as many trucking companies are actively seeking out more women to join their fleets.
If you are a trucker that works for yourself or for a small business, you will drive more than 3 million miles in your lifetime! That breaks down to a yearly average amount of about 115k miles.
If you like to spend time at home, then trucking probably isn’t the right job for you because on average, truckers spend 240 nights away from home each year. For those that love to travel and want to call their truck home, this is definitely a job career to look into.
The trucking industry is large, but just how large is it? 8.9 million people in the US alone have a job in the trucking industry. Out of those 8.9 million people, 3.5 million of them are actual truck drivers.
When it comes to carbon footprint, the average commercial truck consumes 20,500 gallons of gas each year. While this may sound astronomical to the environment, it’s important to note that thanks to modern diesel technology, 60 modern-day trucks put out the same emissions combined as one truck from 1988. That’s a huge improvement and really helps with the economic impact that this massive industry has on the world.
How many trucks are on the road? According to recent studies, it is estimated that there are about 15.5 million active trucks on US highways in the industry. The trucking industry is also predicted to grow by 21% within the next 10 years. With the salaries and benefits that many of the drivers make, it’s an industry to look into if you are thinking of making a career change, or if you are seeking a lucrative career that has a lot of job security. Trucking is predicted to stay strong for many years to come as it is the primary way that goods are shipping in our country.
