Everyone has seen the large tractor trailers traveling the highways without thinking twice about their importance to the economy. The fact is, the trucking industry is critical to the United States economy, as well as the economy of countries around the world. Statistics show that trucks transport more goods than ships, planes or trains, getting those goods to locations where they can be placed in the hands of consumers.
Significant Revenue
In May 2015, the trucking industry reported that they had earned $700.4 billion in 2014, the first time the industry has topped $700 billion. According to the American Trucking Association, freight showed tremendous growth in 2014, which, combined with lower fuel prices and tight capacity, enabled a trucking company to show higher profits than before. The report also indicated that trucks moved almost ten billion tons of freight, which represented almost 70 percent of the goods transported.
Employment Opportunities
In addition to the revenue generated by trucking companies, the industry provides a large number of employment opportunities as well. Currently, there are more than 800,000 truck drivers in the United States, but drivers are not the only employees at most truck companies. There is a need for supervisors, managers, clerical help, dispatchers and mechanics, just to name a few, in order to keep trucks on the road and running smoothly.
Life Without Trucking
Should the trucking industry cease to exist, every industry would feel the impact. Trucks not only bring goods to consumers, they also remove products that people do not want to come in contact with, including waste or toxic substances. In some areas of the world, this could mean consumers would be required to grow their own food or make their own clothing, something that may not be possible.
Too often, the average consumer takes the trucking industry for granted, not understanding the important service they provide to the country. Without the trucking industry, we would not have instant access to many of the goods we have come to expect. In addition, the revenue generated by the trucking industry helps the economy while the need for people to run the industry creates a large number of jobs throughout the world. There are areas of the world who can only receive goods using trucks, which is why the industry is critical not only here in the United States, but also throughout the world.