Trucking industry in the United States

Jul 18

A common property-carrying commercial vehicle in the United States is the semi-truck, also known as an “18-wheeler”.

The trucking industry (also referred to as the transportation or logistics industry) is the transport and distribution of commercial and industrial goods using commercial motor vehicles (CMV). In this case, CMVs are most often trucks; usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck. A truck driver (commonly referred to as a “trucker”) is a person who earns a living as the driver of a CMV.

The trucking industry provides an essential service to the American economy by transporting large quantities of raw materials, works in process, and finished goods over land—typically from manufacturing plants to retail distribution centers. Trucks are also important to the construction industry, as dump trucks and portable concrete mixers are necessary to move the large amounts of rocks, dirt, concrete, and other building materials used in construction. Trucks in America are responsible for the majority of freight movement over land, and are vital tools in the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries.

Large trucks and buses require a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate. Obtaining a CDL requires extra education and training dealing with the special knowledge requirements and handling characteristics of such a large vehicle. Drivers of CMVs must adhere to the hours of service, which are regulations governing the driving hours of commercial drivers. These, and almost all other rules regarding the safety of interstate commercial driving, are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA is also a division of the United States Department of Transportation, which governs all transportation-related industries such as trucking, shipping, railroads, and airlines.

Recent developments in technology, such as computers, satellite communication, and the internet, have contributed to many improvements within the industry. These developments have increased the productivity of company operations, saved the time and effort of drivers, and provided new, more accessible forms of entertainment to men and women who often spend long periods of time away from home. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently implemented revised emission standards for diesel trucks (reducing airborne pollutants emitted by diesel engines) which promises to improve air quality and public health.

Contents

1 History
2 Recent years
3 Economic impact
4 Truck drivers
5 Rules and regulations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

History

Before 1900, most freight transported over land was carried by trains using railroads. Trains were highly efficient at moving large amounts of freight, but could only deliver that freight to centralized urban centers for distribution by horse-drawn transport. The few trucks that existed at the time were mostly novelties, appreciated more for their advertising space than for their utility. The use of range-limited electric engines, lack of paved rural roads, and small load capacities limited trucks to mostly short-haul urban routes.

Starting in 1910, the development of a number of technologies would give rise to the modern trucking industry. With the advent of the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine, improvements in transmissions, the move away from chain drives to gear drives, and the development of the tractor/semi-trailer combination, shipping by truck was gaining in popularity.

World War I trucks circa 1917, manufactured by White Motor Company

The years of World War I (1914-1918) spurred rising truck use and development, as the increased congestion of railroads during the busy war years exposed the need for alternative modes of transporting cargo.

Intermodal containers waiting to be transferred between ships, trains, and trucks are stacked in holding areas at a shipping port.

The years beyond 1920 saw a number of advancements, such as improved rural roads, the introduction of the diesel engine (which are more efficient than gasoline engines), the standardization of truck and trailer sizes along with fifth wheel coupling systems, as well as power assisted brakes and steering.

Also in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed a special committee to explore the idea of a “national inter-regional highway” system, but the committee’s progress was halted by the initiation of World War II. After the war was over, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 authorized the designation of what were now termed “Interstate Highways”, but did not include a funding program to build the highways.

After compromises had been made, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 authorized the construction of the Interstate Highway System, an interconnected network of controlled-access freeways which allowed larger trucks to travel at higher speeds through rural and urban areas. This act also authorized the first federal maximum gross vehicle weight limits for trucks, set at 73,208 pounds (33,207 kg).

The Federal-Aid Highway Act Amendments of 1974 established a federal maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg), and introduced a sliding scale of truck weight-to-length ratios based on the bridge formula, but did not establish a federal minimum weight limit. Consequently, six contiguous states in the Mississippi Valley (which came to be known as the “barrier states”) refused to increase their Interstate weight limits to 80,000 pounds, and the trucking industry effectively faced a barrier to efficient cross-country interstate commerce.

The decade of the 70s saw the heyday of truck driving, and the dramatic rise in the popularity of “trucker culture”. Truck drivers were romanticized as modern-day cowboys and outlaws

The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulated the trucking industry, dramatically increasing the number of trucking companies in operation.

Recent years

Advances in modern technology have made significant contributions to improvements within the trucking industry. Trucks equipped with numerous satellite communication features and automatic transmissions are not unheard of,

The internet

Like many other industries, the trucking industry has benefited from the use of computers and the internet. The internet helps firms explore new opportunities by aggressive sales and marketing. The incremental cost of conducting business transactions on the internet is as much as fifteen times less expensive than paper transactions.

Given the limitations on truck weight and size, increased productivity in the industry comes from two sources; fewer empty miles and less time waiting between loads. Traditional freight brokers acted as intermediaries to manage the coordination of freight, helping independent drivers or companies match loads with available empty trucks. Increasingly, computerized brokers are threatening the future of traditional human brokers by offering increased efficiency. In addition, shipper-driven brokerage over the internet enables shippers to post loads and solicit bids directly from carriers. Instead of relying upon traditional freight brokers, shippers function as their own brokers, dealing directly with freight companies.

Exhaust emissions

The Interstate Highway system (2007)

Estimated average annual daily truck traffic for Interstate and major US Highways (1998)

Components of diesel exhaust were confirmed as an animal carcinogen in 1988 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and by 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considered it “likely to be carcinogenic to humans”. For these and other reasons, alternatives and improvements to standard diesel fuel have been developed.

Biodiesel (in its pure form) is a non-toxic, biodegradable form of diesel fuel made from vegetable oil, usually soybean oil or recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel promises a reduction in some exhaust emissions,

Starting in June 2006, petroleum refiners were required by the EPA to begin producing ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel, which has 97% less sulfur than the previous low sulfur diesel fuel.

By the time the action is fully implemented, the EPA estimates that 2.6 million tons of smog-causing nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced each year. Soot or particulate matter will be reduced by an estimated 110,000 tons a year. The reduction in sulfur will also prevent an estimated 8,300 premature deaths, 5,500 cases of chronic bronchitis and 17,600 cases of acute bronchitis in children. In addition, an estimated 360,000 asthma attacks and 386,000 cases of respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children will also be avoided every year.

When not driving, truck drivers need to idle their engines to maintain climate control within the truck cab (interior), as well as provide electricity for appliances. Engine idling is inefficient and only adds to the problem of air pollution. who provide electricity to diesel trucks, which eliminates the need for the driver to idle the engine. IdleAire also provides access to the internet, cable television, and land line phone services.

Satellite communication

Recent developments in satellite technology have fostered increased communication and productivity within the trucking industry.

The driver inputs the information, using a keyboard, into an automated system of pre-formatted messages known as macros. There are macros for each stage of the loading and unloading process, such as “loaded and leaving shipper” and “arrived at final destination”. This system also allows the company to track the drivers fuel usage, speed, gear optimization, engine idle time, location, direction of travel, and amount of time spent driving.

Trucks equipped with GPS satellite navigation units have enabled drivers to forgo a traditional paper-based map, saving time and effort.

Economic impact

Commercial Freight Activity in the US by Mode of Transportation

Transportation mode
Modal estimates in millions
Relative shares in percents

Value
Tons
Value
Tons

Truck
$9,075,000
11,712
69.5
60.1

Rail
$392,000
1,979
3.0
10.2

Water
$673,000
1,668
5.2
8.6

Pipeline
$896,000
3,529
6.9
18.1

Other modes (incl. air, intermodal)
$2,015,000
600
15.4
3.0

Total
$13,052,000
19,847
100.0
100.0

Source: 2002 estimate by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics

The importance of trucking is communicated by the industry adage, “If you bought it, a truck brought it.”

In modern times, railroads are primarily used to haul bulk quantities of cargo over long distances.

Trucks are vitally important to U.S. industry, however, measuring the impact of trucking on the economy is more difficult, because trucking services are so intertwined with all sectors of the economy. According to the measurable share of the economy that trucking represents, the industry directly contributes about 5% to the gross domestic product annually. In addition, the industry plays a critical support role for other transportation modes and for other sectors of the economy such as the resource, manufacturing, construction, and wholesale and retail trade industries.

Over 80% of all communities in the US rely exclusively on trucks to deliver all of their fuel, clothing, medicine, and other consumer goods. The trucking industry employs 10 million people (out of a total national population of 300 million)

Truck drivers

See also: Truck driver

Shares of the truck driver workforce by age (2004-2014)

Shares of the truck driver workforce by demographic groups (2004-2014)

Truck drivers are persons employed as the operator of a CMV. CMVs can be of varying shapes and sizes, from 10,000-pound (4,500 kg) pickup trucks assigned to haul specialized or small quantities of freight, to 20,000-pound (9,100 kg) straight trucks (box trucks), all the way up to 80,000-pound (36,000 kg), 60-foot (18 m) long 18-wheelers. Trucks are assigned a class rating based upon the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). The facts in this section refer to drivers of “heavy duty” trucks (with a GVWR of at least 26,000 pounds (12,000 kg), which require a commercial driver’s license to operate).

Truck drivers spend up to 11 hours a day driving, and up to 14 hours a day engaged in various duties (including driving time) such as fueling, filling out paperwork, obtaining vehicle repairs and conducting mandatory vehicle inspections. Long-haul drivers often spend weeks away from home, spending their time off and sleeping at truck stops or rest areas. Driving is relatively dangerous work, as truck drivers account for 12% and the highest total number of all work-related deaths, and are five times more likely to die on the job than the average worker.

In 2006, the U.S. trucking industry employed 1.8 million drivers of heavy trucks.

Employee turnover within the long-haul trucking industry is notorious for being extremely high. In the 4th quarter of 2005, turnover within the largest carriers in the industry reached a record 136%,

Rules and regulations

A division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates nearly all aspects of the trucking industry.

Commercial driver’s license

Main article: Commercial driver’s license

Trucks come in many different sizes, creating the need for a truck classification system. Truck drivers are required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate a CMV carrying more than 16 passengers, carrying a certain amount of hazardous materials, or weighing in excess of 26,000 pounds (12,000 kg).

Hours of service

Main article: Hours of service

Drivers are required to keep track of driving hours in a log book, using a time grid for each day along with information identifying the vehicle, driver, and company.

The FMCSA defines a CMV as a single or combination (truck and trailer) vehicle with a gross weight of 10,001 pounds (4,536 kg) or more, or is used to transport hazardous materials in quantities requiring the vehicle to be marked or placarded under the hazardous materials regulations. The rules do no explicitly require that a driver must sleep, only that a driver must take a period of “rest” within the sleeper berth or off duty (i.e., at home).

Keeping track of a driver’s HOS requires the use of a log book.

Weight, size, and route restrictions

See also: Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula

The FMCSA regulates the length, width, and weight limits of CMVs for interstate commercial traffic. Interstate commercial traffic is generally limited a network of interstate freeways and state highways known as the National Network (NN). Provided the truck remains on the NN, they are not subject to the state limits. State limits (which can be lower or higher than federal limits) come into effect for intrastate commercial traffic, provided the vehicle is not on the NN.

There is no federal height limit, and states may set their own limits which range from 13 feet 6 inches (4.1 m) (mostly on the east coast) to 14 feet (4.3 m) (west coast).,

The federal gross weight limit for a Class 8 truck is 80,000 pounds (36,000 kg) (combined weight of truck, trailer, and cargo). Truck weights and sizes are checked by state authorities at a weigh station.

Sing and smmile exports