5 Trucking Logistics Facts About Shipping

The shipping industry is one of the oldest and most useful in the world, here are some lesser known facts about the trucking industry for your enjoyment.

1. 1. As a whole, the trucking industry (including LTL carriers,  FTL transportation, refrigerated carriers,  flatbed trucking, owner-operators and 3pl transport brokerage firms) generated an estimated $67 billion in revenues in 2005.
   2. In terms of shipping and transportation value, truckload shipping both LTL and FTL combined accounted for 61 per cent of trade with the United States, rail 17 per cent, pipeline 13 per cent, air five per cent and marine four per cent.
   3. In domestic activities, construction materials are the top commodities moved by trucks intra provincially, followed by agricultural products, primary metals, metal and mineral products, and energy products.
   4. Five commodity groups represented almost 80 per cent of total Canadian exports in 2005: automobiles and transport equipment, machinery and electrical equipment, other manufacturing products, plastics and chemical products, and base metals/articles of base metal. The same five commodity groups represented 87 per cent of Canadian imports.
   5. There are 3.5 million truck transportation drivers in the U.S. with an average income of $60,000.