Statistics from The American Trucking Association (ATA)
- According to the ATA, nearly 70% of all the freight tonnage moved in the U.S. is transported by trucks.
- Trucks transported 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013.
- It takes over 37 billion gallons of diesel fuel to move all of that freight.
- The top transported goods are clothing, food, furniture and electrical machinery.
Owner-Operator and Independent Driver facts gathered by OOIDA
- The average age is 53 years old.
- 34% exercise regularly.
- 91% are registered voters and 35% have served in the military.
- 65% are married and 54% spend 200+ nights away from home each year.
- The Truckers Report states that the U.S. has 3.5 million truck drivers (1 in 9 are independent drivers).
Popular Mechanics goes under the hood
- The maximum weight for a U.S. semi-truck and full trailer (18-wheeler) is 80,000 pounds. However, in Australia “road trains” can have four trailers and weigh in excess of 300,000 pounds!
- A 14.8 liter inline six-cylinder engine can weigh almost 3,000 pounds, or 345 pounds more than a Mini Cooper. This generates up to 560 hp and 1850 lb-ft of torque. At just 1200 rpm the engine produces more than 1500 lb-ft of torque. Most turbo charged diesel engines put out between 1200 and 2050 lb-ft to keep all that weight moving.
Hollywood Loves Trucking
Trucking has been spotlighted in several films. Read more about some of our favorite trucking movies.