Truck Topics

The Graying of Expediting

We were talking with an expediting owner-operator friend of ours not long ago and he shared his belief that expediters are getting older.

He said that he had recently met a number of new drivers in expediting, both solos and teams and in talking to them, their average age seemed to be on the far side of around 50 years old, with one couple admitting to being in their late 60's.

We remarked to him that if a 'graying of expediting' is occuring, it should come as no surprise because the expedited carriers have always held older, mature drivers in high esteem for a number of reasons. His observation, however, gave us pause because we had never looked into the average age of expediting owner-operators and drivers.

So, it was time to contact the expedited carriers and do an informal survey of their drivers to get some numbers.

And, it's probably a good idea to start off with some statistics from general trucking to give us an idea of where expediting's numbers fit in.

A recent study done by the University of Florida gives us an overview:

If working conditions and pay have been deteriorating in trucking over the past 20 years, it might be expected that drivers would tend to be older, on average, than the labor force as a whole.

This follows because younger individuals would have greater incentives than would their older counterparts to switch to better occupations. Moreover, as conditions in trucking deteriorate (relative to available alternatives), fewer new entrants into the labor force would choose driving as an occupation.

The average age of drivers in the survey was 44.4.

Driver's Enjoyment of Driving
Certainly long-distance driving, with its lengthy periods away from home and frequently irregular work hours, is not for everyone.

But while somewould view such conditions as burdensome, others would see it as offering freedom, adventure, and
variety. As with any profession, individuals tend to
self-select according to job characteristics they prefer.

Nevertheless, if working conditions have eroded severely since deregulation, both absolutely and relative to alternative occupations, overall enjoyment levels would be expected to be low. However, when asked if they enjoyed being truck drivers, 85% of the drivers responded affirmatively.


For another perspective, we take a look at Trucking By The Numbers published in 2006 by Foley Services.

Trucking, like baseball, lends itself to statistics. These statistics can be used for in-depth analysis by industry and government officials, or as answers to trivia questions over dinner at a truckstop. They can also provide an interesting snapshot of an industry that is in a constant state of change.

Researching trucking statistics can be as exciting as watching paint dry. However over the course of months or years of doing such research an interesting assortment of trucking trivia can be accumulated. Here, in no particular order, are some interesting, offbeat, and lesser-known, statistics and facts about truckers and the trucking industry.

What is the average age of U.S. truck drivers?
The average age of a truck driver in the U.S. is 43.6. (43% of drivers are 45 or older, 13.9% are 55-64, and 2.8% are 65 or older)

What percentage of truck drivers in the U.S. are female?
Women comprise 4.6% of the truck drivers in the U.S.

How many female drivers were involved in fatal accidents?
Only about 2% of drivers involved in fatal accidents were female.

How many tractor-trailer drivers are there in the U.S.?
1.4 million, according to the U.S. Labor Dept.

How many Interstate Motor Carriers (Truck and Bus) are there in the U.S?
In 2004 there were 677,249 active motor carriers in the U.S.

What is the injury rate for truck drivers in the U.S?
6.3% of U.S truck drivers are injured each year.

How many Compliance Reviews (Safety Audits) are done per year?
In FY 2006 there were 15,166 Safety Audits performed.

How many roadside inspections for trucks are done per year?
In FY 2006 there were 3,133,102 truck roadside inspections done.

How many truck drivers use seat and shoulder belts?
59% of truckers buckled up regularly, compared to 83% of auto drivers.

Among truckers who has the highest rate of safety belt usage?
83 % of drivers of single tankers and hazmat tractor-trailer combinations routinely use safety belts.

What percentage of U.S. freight do trucks carry?
Trucks carry 70% (by value) of all U.S. freight and 60% by weight.

How many CDL drivers are tested for drugs and alcohol each year?
The FMCSA testing rate is currently at 50% of drivers each year for drugs and 10% of drivers each year for alcohol.

How many drivers test positive each year for either drugs or alcohol?
The FMCSA 2003 Survey shows 2% of drivers testing positive for drugs And 0.2% testing positive for alcohol.

What is the average cost of a truck accident?
In 2003 adjusted dollars the average crash costs $62,613

How many miles per year does the average driver drive?
The average over the road driver drives 121,380 miles per year

How many hours per week does the average driver work?
The average driver works 62.1 hours a week

When is a driver most likely to have an accident?
During the 11th hour of driving, drivers were nearly 3.5 times as likely to have an accident as they were in their first hour of driving.

How many trucks do interstate carriers operate?
81% of FMCSA regulated motor carriers have 6 or fewer trucks, 12% have 7 to 20 trucks, and 7% have more than 20 trucks.

Trucks ñ general snapshots
3% of registered vehicles in the U.S. are large trucks. Large trucks account for 7% of total vehicle miles traveled, 9% of vehicles in fatal crashes, and 4% of vehicles involved in injury and property damage only accidents.)

How many Hazardous Materials shipments are there in the U.S.?
There are some 800,000 daily shipments of hazardous materials in the U.S.

How many Hazardous Materials incidents occur on highways each year?
In 2005 there were 12,365 hazmat incidents on U.S. highways, 461 of which were classified as ìserious.î These incidents resulted in 20 deaths, 146 injuries, and almost $32 million in damages.

How prevalent are team drivers in the trucking industry?
Team drivers make up less than 2% of the overall driver population.

Oh yeah, we were going to tell about the average age of the expedited freight driver. Well, after our survey of carriers and a bit of research done on the ExpeditersOnline Driver Profiles, we came up with an average age of expediting owner-operators and drivers of approximately 51 years of age.

While not in the spring chicken category, expediters are certainly not deep into their senior years as our friend who was mentioned earlier would have us believe.