Truck freight rebounded slightly in 2021 according to new report

The trucking industry moved 10.93 billion tons of freight in 2021, generating $875.5 billion in revenue, according to the latest edition of American Trucking Associations’ American Trucking Trends 2022.

“The overall truck freight market bounced back in 2021 after falling in 2020,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Trends is a valuable resource to track changes in our industry, and this year’s edition is no different. This year’s report found that despite a challenging environment, trucking did experience growth and maintained its position as the dominant freight mode.”

Among the findings in trends, in 2021:

• Trucks moved 10.93 billion tons of freight – up from 10.23 billion tons the previous year.
• The industry collected 80.8% of the nation’s freight bill, up slightly from the previous year, while generating $875.5 billion.
• Trucking employed 7.99 million people in industry-related jobs, up 340,000 from the previous year, including 3.49 million professional truck drivers.
• Women made up 7.9% of the nation’s drivers – an all-time high – and minorities account for 46.1% of truck drivers.
• Trucking remains a small business industry: 95.7% of fleets operate ten or fewer trucks, and 99.7% operate less than 100.
• Trucks moved 66.1% of the value of surface trade between the U.S. and Canada and 82.7% of cross-border trade with Mexico, for a total of $828 billion worth of goods.

“ATA believes in data-driven policy making, and Trends consistently provides accurate and up-to-date information so industry leaders can base their decisions on the best data available,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Trends is a trusted source of information on our industry and the economy and that is why it is found on the desks of countless elected officials, regulators and industry executives across the country.”