Things You Didn’t Know About the Trucking Industry
by Apex Capital | January 22, 2015
Statistics from The American Trucking Association (ATA)
- According to the ATA, nearly 70% of all the freight tonnage moved in the U.S. is transported by trucks.
- Trucks transported 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013.
- It takes over 37 billion gallons of diesel fuel to move all of that freight.
- The top transported goods are clothing, food, furniture and electrical machinery.
Owner-Operator and Independent Driver facts gathered by OOIDA
- The average age is 53 years old.
- 34% exercise regularly.
- 91% are registered voters and 35% have served in the military.
- 65% are married and 54% spend 200+ nights away from home each year.
- The Truckers Report states that the U.S. has 3.5 million truck drivers (1 in 9 are independent drivers).
Popular Mechanics goes under the hood
- The maximum weight for a U.S. semi-truck and full trailer (18-wheeler) is 80,000 pounds. However, in Australia “road trains” can have four trailers and weigh in excess of 300,000 pounds!
- A 14.8 liter inline six-cylinder engine can weigh almost 3,000 pounds, or 345 pounds more than a Mini Cooper. This generates up to 560 hp and 1850 lb-ft of torque. At just 1200 rpm the engine produces more than 1500 lb-ft of torque. Most turbo charged diesel engines put out between 1200 and 2050 lb-ft to keep all that weight moving.
Hollywood Loves Trucking
Trucking has been spotlighted in several films. Read more about some of our favorite trucking movies.
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about Apex Capital
Apex Capital is a full-service factoring company with over 25 years of trucking industry experience. Using our transportation expertise we write blogs that address topics like regulations and compliance, trucking business tips, industry news, and everything in between. We're committed to creating content that provides solutions, helping you and your trucking company.