By the Numbers

The Statistics of Trucking

Every now and then, we really like to put up numbers about the industry. Impressive, eyebrow-raising, incredible, and unbelievable: there’s all that in this edition:

• The most recent data from 2023 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) revealed that there were 3.05 million truck drivers in the United States.
• The average salary for drivers with less than a year of experience is $86,900.
• The average salary for drivers with more than 10 years of experience is $103,869.
• The estimated number of U.S. commercial trucks is at least 12.5 million.
• Trucks moved 8.5 times more freight volume than railroads did in 2020.
• 21% of owner-operators reported difficulty finding loads to haul.
• 77% of owner-operators booked shorter routes due to rising costs.
• The economy was ranked as the top industry issue in 2023, followed by truck parking availability, and fuel prices.

• 67% of company drivers don’t know how their carriers set rates.
• The average operating cost per mile in 2022 was $2.38.
• Truckers drove 25,387 deadhead miles in 2022.
• In 2021, owner-operators spent an average of $45,605 on fuel,
  • That’s about 48 cents per mile.
• 12.1% of professional drivers are women.
• 83% of women enter the trucking industry from recommendation by friends or family members.
• More than 55% of North American truck drivers think trucking is a safe industry for women.
• 56% of U.S. truck drivers travel with their pets.
• Most common forms of fraud that concern freight brokers
  • Double brokering (90%)
  • Stolen loads (28%)
  • Identity theft (23%)
  • Stolen payments (15%)
• In 2022, the U.S. trucking market was worth $217.3 billion.
• In 2022, the global trucking market was worth $2.2 trillion.
• 90% of NATCO’s customers are repeat business.
• 50 States in the United States have been served by NATCO.