OTTAWA (Feb. 20,2003) — Statistics Canada reports that there are an estimated 2,889 Canadian for-hire trucking companies with annual revenues of $1 million or more in the second quarter of 2002, down from 2,946 carriers in the second quarter of 2001.

Operating revenues totalled $5.03 billion and operating expenses reached $4.66 billion, down 6.2% and 5.8% respectively from the second quarter of 2001. Average operating revenues (-4.4%) and expenses (+3.9%) were both down from the second quarter of 2001. Average expenses were at $1.74 million compared with $1.82 million in the second quarter of 2001.

The decrease was driven by lower payments to owner-operators combined with lower purchased transportation and other expenses, Stats Canada reported. However, average costs per carrier were higher for salaries and wages (+6.4%). The operating ratio (operating expenses divided by operating revenues) rose slightly to 0.93.

For-hire trucking transportation revenues from international movements increased by 4.5% to more than $1.81 billion from $1.73 billion in the second quarter of 2001. Revenues from outbound movements were down 1.0%, but revenues from inbound movements increased by more than 10%.