Here in the United States, the transportation industry has only been growing and growing with each passing year. As a matter of fact, there are now more than 12 million various vehicles, from trucks to cars to locomotives, moving various goods all throughout the country as we know it. And more than five and a half million people drive these trucks, a number that is only likely to grow in the years that are ahead of us. For a great many people, the role of the transportation industry here in the United States is something that provides a great deal of stability indeed.
Of course, the transportation industry on a whole is a growing, thriving industry, one that has seen a great deal of positive change over the course of recent years – and one that is likely to see even more change in the years that are ahead of us. For one thing, the overall value of freight being moved is consistently on the rise. Back in the year of 2013, now around seven years in the past, the value of one single ton of freight was only just over $880. But by the time that we are to reach the year of 2040, now just two short decades in the future, the overall value of freight is expected to increase to more than $1,350 per ton (around $1,377, to be just a little bit more precise).
The actual amount of freight being shipped has also increased – and is increasing in a continuous way. After all, by the time that we reach that same year of 2040, it is expected that nearly 19 billion tons of freight will be moved yearly – and that’s just here in the United States, let alone in any other country throughout the world. In comparison to the year of 2013, when only around 15 billion tons of freight were moved, the comparison is stark – and all the more impressive.
But why, exactly, has the transportation industry of the United States seen such incredible growth? For one thing, various services have increased the demand for its work. For one thing, trade show shipments have become more in demand than ever, thanks to the fact that trade shows themselves have grown considerably here in the United States. Trade show shipments are now sent all throughout the country and trade show freight as a whole has certainly become a crucial part of the transportation industry. Trade show shipments have increased alongside the growth of convention centers, of which there are now more than 250 in this country (252, to be just a bit more precise). Trade show shipments are quite likely to go to both California and Florida, states with more convention centers (20) than any others. Trade show shipments to Nevada are also quite commonplace, as Nevada still boasts an impressive number of convention centers with 19 of them found within the borders of the state.
And in addition to trade show shipments and trade show logistics on the whole, other specialty transportation services have also risen in prominence. For instance, less than truckload shipping services have become more important than ever before. These less than truckload shipping services are immensely critical to getting goods in a quick and efficient way. For this reason and many others, the value of the LTL shipping market is now thought to be around $35 billion, a number that is certainly only likely to grow in the years that are ahead of us.
Much of this growth can be linked to e-commerce, something that has taken off tremendously here in the United States. There is no doubting the fact that e-commerce has changed our lives immensely, making it possible to have goods delivered right to our door. And here in the United States alone, the revenue brought in from e-commerce has already topped $423 billion. In the years that are to come, this number is only likely to grow – and exponentially, at that.
From trade show shipments to e-commerce to truckload logistics, there is no denying that the transportation industry plays an immensely important role here in the U.S.