ARLINGTON, VA — Revenue in the U.S. trucking industry last year hit its highest level on record, topping U.S.$700 billion, according to the latest edition of American Trucking Trends from the American Trucking Associations.

This annual compendium of data on the trucking industry’s size and performance also shows during 2014 trucks in the U.S. 9.96 billion hauled tons of cargo, or 68.8%, of all domestic freight.

“Last year, we saw freight volumes grow significantly,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Increases in freight, combined with continued tight capacity helped drive revenues and coupled with lower fuel prices, we saw motor carriers go on a buying spree for new trucks as they replaced older equipment.”

Other interesting facts from the publication include:

• The U.S.$700.4 billion in revenue accounted for 80.3% of all U.S. freight transportation spending.
• Trucking employed more than 7 million people in the U.S., including 3.4 million drivers.
• Combination trucks logged 168.4 billion miles in the U.S. during 2013, or an average of 69,000 per truck.
• Since deregulation on the trucking industry in the U.S. more than 30 years ago, the number of registered motor carriers has grown by 68 times to more than 1.3 million carriers.
• Commercial trucks paid U.S.$16.5 billion in federal highway user fees in 2013.