Long Distance General Freight Trucking

The 63,100 long distance general freight trucking companies in the US provide truckload (TL) and less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation services between cities and across the country. TL trucks carry a load for a single customer, transporting the load directly to its destination. LTL trucks carry goods for more than one customer and make multiple stops to drop-off and pick-up freight. These trucking firms transport a wide variety of goods and may also provide services such as warehousing, packaging, and customs brokering for international transport. Long distance trips typically exceed 250 miles.

Volatility of Fuel Costs

Fuel consumption is a major expense for trucking companies, with nine miles to the gallon of diesel considered a good MPG range.

Rising Need for Drivers

Trucking industry employment remained flat throughout 2024 and that trend has continued into 2025, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nov 10, 2026 - Rising Wages a Major Trucking Industry Cost Pressure

• Trucking companies continue to face rising labor costs even as a stubbornly sluggish freight market makes it difficult to protect profit margins. Average hourly earnings for nonsupervisory employees in the truck transportation industry reached $32.67 in August 2026, up 4.4% from a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over the past three years, trucking wages have climbed 12.0%, slightly ahead of the 11.6% increase across the broader private sector. While freight demand remains uneven, carriers still need to offer competitive pay to attract experienced drivers and keep them from jumping to rivals. The squeeze is particularly tough for smaller operators, which have less financial flexibility and limited leverage when negotiating freight rates. With fuel, insurance, and equipment costs also eating into profits, higher wages leave trucking companies with even less room to maneuver in an already challenging market.
• Rising trucking costs are pushing more freight onto the nation’s railroads, putting additional competitive pressure on an industry already grappling with higher fuel prices and a shrinking driver workforce. Shippers are turning to rail as a cheaper alternative for moving goods over long distances, helping Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern post stronger third-quarter results. Union Pacific reported a 6% increase in freight volume, while Norfolk Southern saw a 3% gain. Norfolk Southern executives said tighter trucking capacity has made rail more attractive to shippers, particularly as transportation costs climb. The shift comes as Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern pursue a $71.5 billion merger that would create the nation’s first transcontinental freight railroad. The proposed combination could further challenge long-haul trucking companies by improving rail service and expanding network reach, although regulators and customers have raised concerns about reduced competition and potentially higher freight rates.
• Diesel prices have become a serious threat to trucking companies already struggling with thin margins and years of rising operating costs. The Wall Street Journal reports that the national average diesel price recently hit a record $6.53 per gallon, nearly $3 higher than a year earlier. Independent truckers and small fleets face the greatest pressure because they often pay fuel costs upfront and lack the bargaining power to secure the fuel surcharges available to larger carriers. Some owner-operators are cutting virtually every discretionary expense or parking their trucks altogether, while more than a dozen trucking companies filed for bankruptcy in the past month. Fuel is only part of the squeeze: drivers also report sharply higher repair, parts, insurance, and financing costs. The pressure could further shrink trucking capacity if smaller operators exit the market, while higher freight costs work their way into prices for food and other goods.
• US shippers are putting more freight on their own trucks as for-hire capacity tightens and trucking costs rise. About 71% of companies surveyed by the National Private Truck Council plan to expand their private fleets, which increased freight volume 9.1% last year. Shippers aren’t abandoning outside carriers, but they are using their own trucks to gain more control over service and provide leverage when negotiating rates. The strategy has become more attractive as dry-van spot market truck postings run about 30% below year-ago levels and spot rates climb 30% to 40%. Private fleets also give companies more options for dealing with higher fuel costs and supply chain disruptions. Technology is helping make those fleets more efficient, with routing systems, transportation management software, and AI allowing shippers to better coordinate their own trucks with for-hire capacity.

Industry size & Structure

A typical long distance general freight trucking company operates out of a single location, employs fewer than 15 workers, and generates about $4-5 million annually.

• The long distance general freight trucking industry consists of about 63,100 companies, which employ about 906,900 workers and generate about $252 billion annually.
• The truckload (TL) segment of the industry accounts for 88% of firms and 71% of industry revenue. The less than truckload (LTL) segment accounts for 12% of firms and 29% of industry revenue.
• The TL segment is fragmented with the 20 largest firms representing 30% of the segment’s revenue. The LTL segment is concentrated with the 20 largest firms representing 77% of the segment’s revenue.
• Large companies include Schneider, Old Dominion, YRC Freight, Swift Transportation, JB Hunt, and Werner Enterprises.