And there are more trucking companies (and employees) than are tracked in the BLS survey. As the driver of a large, heavy truck, you have a lot of responsibility as you drive down the road. The trucking industry has bounced back from its decline during the recession and the number of truck drivers is at an all-time high.. In 2016, the number of employer and self-employed (nonemployer) trucking businesses reached 711,000, surpassing the pre-recession high. Below are seven reasons—backed by recent stats—explaining why trucking is America’s number one job today. Source: NPR This is a map of the most common job in each US state in 2014. Not all of those jobs represent truck drivers, although a higher percentage of the total probably works behind the wheel. There are approximately 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the United States, according to estimates by the American Trucking Association. In 2016, the number of employer and self-employed (nonemployer) trucking businesses reached 711,000, surpassing the pre-recession high. In the 1950s, the number of drivers in the USA increased an average of 3.6% every year. The biggest concern is safety. Of the more than three million truckers in the United States, it is estimated more than 200,000 are women. It’s more likely Uber has around 1.5-2.5 million drivers in the US , since one quarter to one half quit after one year. In fact, we need roughly 90,000 more truck drivers a year for the next decade according to ATA to keep up with demand. FAQ How many Uber drivers are there in the world? The estimated cost of truck and bus crashes to the United States economy was $99 billion that same year. That figure represents a fifty percent increased since 2005. Uber likely has around 2 million US drivers by the end of 2019. In the next decade, the 1960s, the number of drivers in the USA increased at a lower average of 2.51% each year. It has been claimed that there are 700,000 Lyft drivers in the United States and 1.5 million around the world. US trucking industry flexed hiring muscle in 2018. These drivers would have a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Delivery Truck Drivers and Driver/Sales Workers: Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers pick up, transport, and drop off packages and small shipments within a local region or urban area. Truck Drivers By the Count. After dropping to 35-year lows in 2009, the number of crash fatalities of truck drivers or their passengers increased between 2009 and 2012. It should be clear at a glance just how dependent the American economy is on truck drivers. The following table summarizes the HOS regulations for property-carrying and passenger-carrying drivers. The trucking industry has bounced back from its decline during the recession and the number of truck drivers is at an all-time high.. Statistics on number of drivers in the US. The American Trucking Associations estimates that there are 3.5 million truck drivers in the USA. How many Americans drive? The most common major for Driver/sales workers & truck drivers is Business but a relatively high number of Driver/sales workers & truck drivers hold a major in Personal & Culinary Services. The total number of people employed in the industry, including those in positions that do not entail driving, exceeds 8.7 million. And we need more.. Driver churn and availability clearly has an impact on the number of drivers in the US, but the growth is clearly still there. This statistic represents the number of people employed as truck drivers in the United States in 2018, by type. That brings us to the main reason for the hours-of-service regulations – to keep fatigued drivers off the public roadways. While truck driving remains a male dominated profession, the number of women pursuing and earning their commercial drivers’ licenses is growing. Truck Drivers in the USA. How many CDL drivers in the USA? The MVTA also has two federal regulations that govern Hours of Service for commercial vehicle drivers and the issuance or revocation of Safety Fitness Certificates. The economy depends on truck drivers to transport freight and keep supply chains moving.