Although the industry has its issues, there are more people driving big trucks today than ever before.
Much has been written in recent years about the challenges faced by truck drivers in the United States. Driving an over-the-road truck (OTR) can be lonely and isolating and there are a growing number of government rules regulating what drivers can and can’t do on the job. But, these days jobs driving locally and being home daily are in abundance.
Truck driving can be tough work at times but it can also be rewarding and it remains a very important job. An overwhelming number of statistics show that trucking may be one of the leading indicators of our country’s economic health. If trucks are moving more freight, Americans are buying more.
Below are six reasons—based on statistics—explaining why trucking is America’s number one job today.
1. Trucks and Truckers are Everywhere:
Despite a much-publicized shortage of qualified drivers, truck driving remains one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States. There are more than 1.7 million heavy-duty and tractor-trailer truck driving jobs today, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, a total of 7.4 million Americans have jobs tied to the trucking industry. A recent study by National Public Radio found that “trucker driver” was the most dominant job in 29 U.S. states, including California and Texas.
2. Trucks Move Everything:
Rail and intermodal transportation have been growing in recent years. However, commercial trucks still move the lion’s share of goods and materials. Once railed freight is offloaded, it is often trucked to a warehouse and re-distributed. The trucking Industry continues to grow and industry groups project steady overall growth.
3. Driving Isn’t Automated:
At a time when many American blue-collar jobs have been in decline, the number of truck driving jobs has grown. That’s because trucking has been immune to two of the biggest forces affecting the U.S. workforce today, automation and offshoring. Driving a truck cannot be outsourced to India or China. Likewise, robots have not learned how to drive and park a big-rig. That latter fact may not always remain true, as truck manufacturers are attempting to develop trucks with self-driving technologies.
4. Trucking Drives the Economy, Literally (and Vice-Versa)
Many economists look to trucking as an indicator to our countries overall economic health. When more trucks are moving and freight rates are rising, that means consumers are spending more, and retailers and manufacturers are adding to their inventories.
5. Trucking is Small Business
Is the American dream dead? Not in trucking. Owning and operating a single truck or a small fleet remains the most frequent route to business ownership. In fact, trucking is an industry made up of small businesses, with 91% of motor carriers operating six or fewer trucks. Over 97% of trucking companies today have fewer than 20 power units. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) there were 493,730 trucking companies operating in the United States in 2016. The fact remains, many of America's small business owners are truckers.
6. Trucking Remains a Solid Career Path
When compared with U.S. household median income, driving a truck remains a good way to make a living. According to the National Transportation Institute (NTI), for-hire drivers earn an average annual income of $54,000, while private fleet drivers make well over $70,000 on average. Although trucking remains a solid, middle-class career, there are concerns about the ability to recruit new drivers.
If you are interested in discussing a career as a truck driver, pick up the phone and give us a call here at IITR Truck Schools, or visit our website at www.IITR.net.
“Down the Road, IITR can change your life”