Solving America’s Transportation Worries

Truck drivers consistently rank in the top 10% of employees who die while working. Truck drivers ranked 7th in 2020 with 27 per 100,000. Police officers came in at 22 on the list. Police officers generally earn higher wages and work far fewer hours each week — why would anyone want to be a truck driver?

Getty Images Credit: Marko Geber, Creative #: 1341970913

Let's begin with the facts:

The American Trucking Association represents only 720 trucking companies nationwide. You can count them if you wish.

“There are over 500,000 us trucking companies in the USA with over 15 1/2 million trucks on the road with 2,000,000 being tractor-trailers. 80% of these trucking companies are regarded as small businesses totaling 6 trucks or less.”

Therefore, no matter how many times the ATA is quoted by the media their numbers cannot be correct.

None of those figures take into account the number of foreign (Mexican and Canadian) companies moving freight into and across the country.

According to the ATA, the American trucking industry is short 80,000 drivers. I’m betting the number is closer to 200,000.