Census reports boom in trucking revenues

The U.S. Census Bureau has stated that its latest annual survey of truck transportation, courier and messenger, and warehousing and storage activity shows that revenues reached $266 billion in 2004, up from $246 billion the year before. Trucking garnered the largest year-over-year revenue increase.

In its “2004 Service Annual Survey: Truck Transportation, Couriers and Messengers, and Warehousing and Storage,” the Census Bureau reported that truck transportation revenues alone climbed 10.4% to $186 billion in 2004. Motor carrier revenues increased 10.5% to $175 billion and courier and messenger revenues expanded 4% to $62 billion.

General freight contributed to approximately two-thirds of all trucking revenue, with $125 billion in 2004. Trucks transporting specialized freight (requiring equipment such as flatbeds, tankers or refrigerated trailers) accounted for the remaining $61 billion in revenue, the Bureau said.

For-hire, local general freight trucking revenues grew 8% to $20 billion, with long-distance general freight revenues increasing 10.7% to $105 billion and revenue from hazardous materials shipments increasing 9.4% to $10 billion, it said.

The Census Bureau noted that its truck transportation survey excludes private carriers.