There are more big trucks on the road than ever, but the fact is they represent just 4.3 percent of all highway vehicles and 10 percent of total highway miles traveled.
Not all roads are the same, however. Half of all truck miles are on the Interstate highway system. On some heavily traveled stretches, every fourth vehicle is a truck.
In 2010, trucks transported 34.2 million tons of freight around the U.S. every day. These trucks pay extra taxes to offset extra wear and tear on roadways. In 2009, these taxes amounted to $3.2 billion – 11 percent the Federal Highway Trust Fund’s total revenue.
Check out our photo gallery for more on trucking. See “What Do Others Say?” for more views, then add to the discussion below. Are you surprised by today’s fact? Do you feel safe sharing the road with these big rigs?
