The trucking and warehousing industry provided more than 1.8 million wage and salary jobs in 2000. About half of the salaried jobs in the industry, 926,000, were for truck drivers and driver/sales workers. Other transportation and material-moving jobs numbered 350,000, and another 314,000 jobs were in various office and administrative support occupations. There were about 99,000 managers; 57,000 bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists; and 31,000 sales and related workers. In addition to wage and salary workers, an estimated 289,000 workers in the industry were self-employed in 2000.
Most employees in the trucking and warehousing industry work in small establishments. Over 3 out of 4 trucking and warehousing establishments employ fewer than 10 workers. Consolidation in the industry has reduced the number of small, specialized firms. About 8 percent of truck drivers operate their own business. Although these owner-operators constantly enter the industry each year, intense competition has caused many to fail.a
Trucking and warehousing establishments are found throughout the United States, with a higher concentration around the major interstate highways and in heavily industrialized regions of the country such as in California, New Jersey, and Texas.
The number of wage and salary jobs in the trucking and warehousing industry is expected to grow 22 percent from 2000 through 2010, compared with projected growth of 16 percent for all industries combined. Because the industry is large, many job openings will result-not only from employment growth-but also from the need to replace the large number of workers who transfer to other industries or retire. Opportunities in this industry should be good for qualified workers at all levels, especially in truckdriving and service technician occupations.
One of the main factors influencing the growth of the trucking and warehousing industry is the state of the national economy. Growth in the industry parallels economic upswings and downturns. As the national economy grows, production and sales of goods increase, thus increasing demand for transportation services to move goods from producers to consumers. In a recession, this industry is one of the first to slow down as orders for goods and shipments Decline. Competition in the trucking and warehousing industry is intense, both among trucking companies and, in some long-haul truckload segments, with the railroad industry. Nevertheless, trucking has been accounting for an increasingly large share of freight transportation revenue.
Additional employment growth will result from manufacturers' willingness to concentrate more on their core competencies-producing goods-and outsource their distribution functions to trucking and warehousing companies. As firms in other industries increasingly employ this industry's logistical services, such as inventory management and just-in-time shipping, many new jobs will be created. Also, the expansion of electronic commerce as more consumers and businesses make purchases over the Internet will continue to increase demand for the transportation and logistical services of the trucking and warehousing industry.
Opportunities for qualified truck drivers are expected to be favorable. In some areas, companies have experienced difficulties recruiting adequately skilled drivers. Truck driving pays relatively well, but many persons leave the career because of the lengthy periods away from home, long hours of driving, and the negative public image drivers face. Stricter requirements for obtaining-and keeping-a commercial driver's license also make truckdriving less attractive as a career. Opportunities for diesel service technicians and mechanics also are expected to be favorable, especially for applicants with formal postsecondary training.
Growth in the trucking and warehousing industry should prompt an increase in office and administrative support employment. More dispatchers, stock clerks, and shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks will be needed to support expanded logistical services across the country. However, fewer secretaries, bookkeepers, and file clerks will be needed because computers and other automated equipment will make workers in these occupations more efficient and productive.
Courier and delivery services has been one of the most rapidly growing segments of the industry. Employment is expected to continue to increase even as competition from overnight air-courier firms, and business use of fax machines and e-mail moderates growth.
