Trucking remains the dominant revenue engine of U.S. freight transportation, generating about $906 billion in 2024, according to industry data compiled by the American Trucking Associations. That total represented 76.9 percent of all revenue earned across every domestic transportation mode, a share that has held steady even through uneven freight cycles.

By volume, trucks moved 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024, or 72.7 percent of the tonnage carried by all modes combined. The gap between trucking's revenue share and its tonnage share reflects the premium value of the time-sensitive, door-to-door service that rail, water, and pipeline modes generally cannot match.

Looking forward, the association's freight forecast projects total tonnage rising 25.6 percent by 2030, with trucking expected to retain the largest slice of that growth. The forecast points to continued demand from e-commerce, regional distribution, and manufacturing supply chains as the primary drivers of expanding freight volumes over the balance of the decade.

The revenue and volume figures also frame the labor and equipment scale behind the sector. Sustaining more than 11 billion tons of annual freight requires a vast base of drivers, tractors, trailers, and maintenance operations. As tonnage climbs toward the 2030 projection, carriers face pressure to add capacity while managing fuel, equipment, and compliance costs that weigh on margins.

Source: American Trucking Associations -- https://www.trucking.org/economics-and-industry-data