There are 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States, with total industry employment at over 8.7 million. That means that one out of every 15 people working in the United States is employed in the trucking industry.
Professional truck drivers drove over 400 billion miles in 2005, a 146 percent increase in 25 years. In 2006, the trucking industry hauled 10.7 billion tons of freight, or 69 percent of total U.S. freight tonnage. In contrast, rail was the next busiest mode, moving 13.3 percent of the nation’s freight tonnage.
A shortage of professional truck drivers exists in some segments of the trucking industry. There is a current shortage of approximately 20,000 truck drivers per year. This number is expected to increase to 111,000 drivers by the year 2014. The shortage is not due to lack of interest, just basic economics – the demand for professional truck drivers is growing faster than the number of new drivers entering the field.
To help solve the growing shortage of drivers, ATA has developed a website, www.GetTrucking.com, to help people interested in a career as a professional driver find out how to begin. The industry is looking for both men and women of all ages, including those looking for a second career, who want to experience the open road.