Most people don’t know that trucking makes a large part of the American economy. Today, most people rely on trucking because it is a good option for them to afford a good quality of life. In other words, if the industry disappears, many people will be left homeless and will have nothing to eat. So how to start a trucking company is what you need to know when deciding to become a part of it. Because many people have started to join the bandwagon of the trucking business, it is important for them to know about it in detail. In this feature, we will walk you through some interesting facts about the trucking business. Make sure to read this text till the end diligently:
1. Trucking Hauls More Freight than Any Other Method
For your information, trucking is responsible for transporting every kind of good from one place to the other. Surprisingly, around 70% of the goods are transported through trucks. According to a report released back in 2018, trucking amounted to around 12 billion tons of goods being transported. The other common methods for hauling freight are rail, air, pipeline, or vessel. However, they cannot carry as much weight as you can transport through trucking. This is why the reliance on trucking has increased more than ever. Regardless of whichever part of the county you go to, you will eventually find people diving full throttle in this industry.
2. Truck Shop Shortages
Today, it is important to remove goods from farms and factories to the stores, gas stations, banks, hospitals, and so on. However, if every driver started to drive their trucks on the roads, the situation would become chaotic. Here’s what would happen quickly according to a recent survey:
·Clean drinking water would immediately run dry in the next four weeks
·Patient care would get jeopardized
·The food supplies in the nursing homes and hospitals would run out in the next 24 hours
·The supply of the gas stations would run out in the next 2 days
·ATM and other cash sources would quickly run out
This is why the weather delays have a strong impact on the economy. This is why, when it comes to shipping, things need to gravitate in the right direction.
3. There are Two Kinds of Truck Drivers
For your information, the truck drivers are split into two categories: OTR and original.
OTR, which stands for the over the road, are drivers who are responsible for transporting the freight throughout the US. As soon as they set off, their next few days or even weeks would be spent on the road. On the other hand, the regional drivers have to remain outside for a few hours and complete their shift on time. For instance, if they leave during the nighttime, they will have to complete the shift by morning. Any kind of delay will affect their performance at work. Secondly, if you have plans to start a trucking company, you will have to choose the right people for this job, ones who have experience of bringing on the wheels for long hours.
4. There is a Shortage of Drivers
Despite being a rage across the country, the trucking industry has a severe shortage of drivers. This means the industry is struggling to meet the demand of the customers. It’s not that the country has fewer people who drive but there is certainly a shortage of people who are eligible for becoming a part of the trucking industry. One of the leading reasons behind the lack of drivers is the age of the current workforce. The average age of the trucking driver starts from 46. This means, not many people are available to begin working in this field.
5. Trucks Drive Billions of Miles in their Lifetime
Back in 2017, around 36 million trucks were used for business needs. Bear In mind, this number is not inclusive of the actual amount of trucks that were used by the government itself. These trucks drove around 300 billion miles in a year. Furthermore, the trucking industry employs around 8 million people through the US alone, which goes on to prove its importance.
