Trucking Facts

Trucking Means Many Good Paying Jobs

Trucking employs over 143,514 people - 1 out of 14 workers in Colorado.
Trucking pays almost $6.3 billion in wages.
Over 6800 family-owned and corporate trucking businesses (most have less than 10 employees).
The annual wage for workers in trucking in 2004 was $44,456 which is 10% higher in comparison the state’s average annual wage which was $40,276. In addition most of these employees receive health and retirement benefits.

Trucking has made greater strides in air quality than any other vehicles on our highways today. A 2006 truck is 10 times cleaner than a 1988 one with a 98% reduction in PM and NOx.
Trucks make up a small percentage of the state’s emissions. While truck travel has grown substantially in areas such as the Denver Region, diesel emissions have dropped.
Fuel efficiency has increased by over 30% since 1982.

While travel by large trucks has increased by 42% over the past decade, fatal accidents are at a record low, having dropped 29%.
Since 1988 the truck accident rate has dropped by almost 50%.
Only 1% of truck drivers in fatal crashes were found to be intoxicated (compared to 18% for autos).
In 75% of the accidents involving trucks, an automobile driver was found to be at fault.
Truck accidents in Colorado dropped by 13% in 2005.

Facts About the Colorado Trucking Industry

87% of the manufactured freight commodities are transported by truck.
81% of the communities in the Colorado are exclusively served by truck.
On a daily basis trucks move:
> Inbound: 75,186,080 tons.
> Outbound: 18,350,358 tons.
> Total: 93,536,483 tons.

A typical tractor trailer paid $17,514 in annual state and federal highway taxes and fees. In addition a Colorado based trucker must pay state and local sales tax on the purchase of tractors and trailers used in interstate commerce while most states (and virtually all of Colorado's surrounding states exempt this equipment from such taxes. On top of this Colorado carriers must pay specific ownership tax, a former of property tax, on their rolling stock, further adding to the tax burden.
The trucking industry paid $425 Million in state and federal highway taxes and fees in 2004.
Taxes and fees from the trucking industry constitute over 32% of all state and federal highway user fees while trucks only constitute 8% of the vehicle miles traveled in the state.