Maybe it’s the increase in global trade, or perhaps it’s the growth in suburban spread that prompted such an increase in this occupation. Either way, and probably with influence of many other trends, too, that adds up to more need for more tractor-trailer transport. Truck driving is now the Number One occupation in 29 of the 50 states, including South Carolina.
Back in 1978, this dominance was only found in nine states, National Public Radio learned in its recent search of Census Bureau data. So to what factors does NPR attribute this growth?
“Driving a truck has been immune to two of the biggest trends affecting U.S. jobs: globalization and automation. A worker in China can’t drive a truck in Ohio, and machines can’t drive cars (yet).”
This trend in growth, and for both commercial and owner operator drivers alike, will continue. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects almost 20,000 new jobs every year through 2024 just for heavy and tractor-trailer operators.
The rig manufacturing industry is responding to this trend. If the need for more transport is growing, the need for more commercial trucks to do that transport will grow, too, of course, and not just for replacement of old rigs, either. Statista estimates that U.S. sales of heavy and medium commercial vehicles will grow almost 25 percent in that same period, reaching 469,000 units a year by 2024.
These ongoing growths for both truck drivers and the commercial trucks they operate indicate a growing need in another category, too: insurance that’s specialized for this transportation industry. Tractor trailers don’t all carry the same cargo, for example, and don’t haul it over the same areas with the same terrains and the same accident risks, either. Specialized insurance that covers specialized needs is what commercial and owner operator truckers alike should look into.
Our company can help you determine your needs and evaluate your risks, and get you the coverage you need – and possibly for a much-more affordable price, too. So if you’re currently in this field or are one of the many thousands entering it, contact us. We can make you feel more comfortable when you’re behind the wheel.
