Trucking Industry Profile

Companies in this industry provide long-distance and local freight trucking, including truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) services. Major companies include US-based JB Hunt, Knight-Swift Transportation, Schneider National, XPO Logistics, and YRC Freight, as well as Eddie Stobart Logistics (UK), Hitachi Transport System and Seino Super Express (both based in Japan), and TFI International (Canada).

Large, wealthy nations such as the US, Japan, and Germany are top markets for trucking, but growth in emerging markets has prompted some companies to expand overseas. China, in particular, has attracted investments from large trucking service providers based in North America and Europe.

The US general freight trucking industry includes about 80,000 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $190 billion.

The industry is comprised of carriers that transport commodities for shippers using a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). This profile covers general freight companies, including for-hire carriers and independent owner-operators, which transport a wide variety of commodities using containers or van trailers. Companies primarily engaged in flatbed, tanker, or refrigerated trailer transport are covered in the Specialty Trucking industry profile. Express delivery services and moving and storage companies are covered in separate profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

The rapid growth of online shopping and quick delivery options is expected to change patterns of demand for trucking services. As the number of brick-and-mortar retail locations declines, so will demand for long-haul dry van trucking. ...