4 Ways Trucking can be an Economic Indicator

Often lost in the discussion of what makes America tick is the role trucking plays in keeping the economy moving. Trucks haul two-thirds of .

If there was a trucking state of the union, it would be a very positive discussion as many aspects of the industry seem to be in good shape.

Here are four things you should know about the trucking industry:

1) Tonnage carried by trucks is up
Trucks hauled 2.4 percent more in 2012 than in 2011, but the total number of shipments did not grow at the same rate. So what gives?

Most of it is explained by tank trucks increasing their loads due to the growth of hydraulic fracturing , which is a way to extract oil and natural gas from shale formations.

2) Driving a truck pays competitively
Good drivers with clean records can command great pay and signing bonuses that approach the $2,000 range.

The trucking industry is one of the highest in terms of turnover both due to the age of drivers and their retirements and other factors, which makes it an attractive industry to get into. The industry needs to hire about 100,000 drivers each year. Last year, trucking companies dealt with a shortage of drivers that will only get worse as the economy improves.

3) Natural gas trucks are the wave of the future
The obstacle of the increased cost of the truck stands in the way, but the price of natural gas is about half of the cost of diesel. Many trucking companies would like to convert their fleet to natural gas to match what delivery companies with smaller trucks are doing.

4) Trucking companies actually want higher taxes
No, that isn't a typo. The higher the taxes, the better the roads will become, so truckers actually look for an increase in their taxes to make the roads they have to drive on every day better.