Trucks haul 80% of U.S. freight: ATA

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ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. trucking industry accounted for 79.8% of the nation’s freight bills in 2016, amounting to US $676.2 billion, the American Trucking Associations concludes.

The organization’s newly released ATA American Trucking Trends 2017 report also found that trucks moved 10.42 billion tons of freight, representing 70.6% of domestic freight tonnage.

Those who run the trucks paid US $41.3 billion in state and federal highway user fees and taxes, with the average five-axle tractor-trailer representing more than $5,600 in annual taxes.

In all, 33.8 million trucks were registered for business purposes, and 3.68 million of those were Class 8 trucks. They collectively burned 147 billion liters of diesel and 59 billion liters of gasoline, traveling 725 billion kilometers.

Trucking employs 7.4 million Americans, including 3.5 million as truck drivers. About 6% of those drivers are women, compared to 3% in Canada, and 38.7% are minorities.

The vast majority (91%) of motor carriers operate six or fewer trucks, and 97.3% operate fewer than 20.

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John G. Smith is Newcom Media's vice-president - editorial, and the editorial director of its trucking publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, and Transport Routier. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995.


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