How Many Truck Drivers in the U.S.? Job and Crash Numbers `24

How many truck drivers in the U.S. are employed? Learn trucking industry statistics, including occupational and truck crash numbers.

Sarah Edwards

Contributor

Reviewed By Adam Ramirez, J.D.

Editor

July 31, 2024 Read in 3 mins

Data

Number of Truck Drivers in U.S. (1997-2023)

www.consumershield.com

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*Truck drivers include light, heavy, tractor-trailer truck drivers.

Sources: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Research

Fluctuations in How Many Truck Drivers in the U.S. Carry Goods
How Many Truckers in the U.S. Kept Their Jobs During the 2008 Financial Crisis?
Recovery in Truck Driver Numbers
Resilience and Growth in the Trucking Industry Post-2020
Number of Truck Drivers in U.S. Truck Accidents
Contact ConsumerShield After a Large Truck Crash

Summary

Businesses employ about 3 million drivers to operate trucks and vans

About 2 million drivers operate heavy vehicles like semi trucks

As the number of truck drivers increase, truck accidents also increase

Fluctuations in How Many Truck Drivers in the U.S. Carry Goods

From 2.64 million in 1997, the number of truck drivers in the U.S. grew slightly to around 2.69 million in 1998. After that year, the number slowly dropped to 2.47 million by 2003 as economic downturns reduced the need for freight transportation.

Despite these setbacks, the number of truckers started to slowly rebound, reaching 2.62 million by 2006.

How Many Truckers in the U.S. Kept Their Jobs During the 2008 Financial Crisis?

The 2008 financial crisis hit the trucking industry hard, causing the number of truckers to drop to 2.25 million by 2010. The general economic slowdown reduced how many truck drivers in the U.S. were needed by manufacturers and distributors.

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Recovery in Truck Driver Numbers

Post-crisis recovery was slow but steady. By 2014, the numbers had climbed back up to 2.42 million, and growth accelerated in the following years. The number of truck drivers reached new heights in the late 2010s, reaching 2.78 million in 2019.

Resilience and Growth in the Trucking Industry Post-2020

Despite a slight dip in 2020 to 2.73 million, likely influenced by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the industry saw a remarkable recovery. By 2021, the number of truck drivers in U.S. employment statistics surged to 2.91 million and continued to grow to 3.05 million by 2023.

This number includes 2.05 million heavy truck and semi truck drivers and 1.00 million drivers of light trucks, such as delivery trucks and vans.

This recent surge can be attributed to the increased reliance on e-commerce, which requires extensive logistics support, and ongoing economic recovery.

Number of Truck Drivers in U.S. Truck Accidents

Trucking is becoming more dangerous for truck drivers and the road users around them. The number of truck accidents has grown steadily along with the number of truck drivers.

Fatal and nonfatal injury crashes involving large trucks hit all-time highs in 2022, the most recent year with full statistics. In that year, trucks were involved in 1.78 fatal accidents and 37 nonfatal accidents for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled, both all-time highs.

These numbers have widespread effects across the economy. Car insurance rates rise as the risk of crashes increases. Large insurance companies have also raised rates for trucking companies. Carriers pass these expenses on to consumers, leading to increased prices for the goods they deliver.

Contact ConsumerShield After a Large Truck Crash

Changes in how many truck drivers in the U.S. are on the roads reflect the broader economic state of the nation. They also affect the risk of injury or death due to large truck collisions. ConsumerShield helps truck accident victims understand their rights after traffic injuries and also assists in finding the best attorney for their case. Contact us for a free case evaluation.