Imagine waiting on your shipment, and it pulls up on a horse and buggy. Or, what if you had to wait a month for your shipment? Living in a very technologically advanced world affords us the ability to have our purchased items the next day, or sometimes even the same day. The same holds true to those who need shipments hauled for them. Over the road drivers can make it from Seattle to New York in about a week, team driving could take ideally three days. Back in the 1900s, it would take about a month.

The evolution of trucking is very interesting. In the 1900s the trucks were very slow and had solid rubber tires. As time progressed, truckers adapted to their conditions and eventually headlights and better tires were manufactured around 1912. By 1914, they were running about 15 mph. Finally, in the 1920, the first semi was introduced. In the 1930s, Motor Carrier Act was passed which is where safety regulations begun; which eventually lead to the creation and implementation of the hours of service.

In the 50s, a great invention was produced: refrigerated trailers. People could now enjoy foods that may from one coast to the other. The construction of highways had increased the profits of the industry as well. In the 60s- 70s; trucking movies and songs begun to gain popularity and highlight the industry. It was known as the “trucker culture”. CB radios and the slang that went along with it gained a lot of popularity, not only with the truckers, but with the public. Toward the end of the 70s, one of America’s favorite trucking movies was released: Smokey and the Bandit.

The 1980s deregulation occurred which led to some changes within the trucking industry. The unions begun to decline drastically. This opened a door for the trucking industry and the railroad to begin discussing a trailer-on-flatcar network, which ended up growing 70%. Not only did the rail service have success, but also did smaller carriers and others who wanted to open a trucking company previously but couldn’t due to not having permissions from the other companies. The number of carriers increased from 20,000 to 40,000 from the 1980s to the 1990s. Shippers also were much happier with their decreased costs and the carriers’ willingness to negotiate since once hidden costs were taken out of their fees by deregulation.

Toward the end of the 20^th century, big box stores such as Walmart and Target heavily impacted the trucking industry in a positive way. The need for the store merchandise resulted in more jobs for truckers. Once the internet started getting more and more popular, online shopping increased trucking needs even more.   At the beginning of the 21^st century, there were an estimated 26 million trucks on American roads. The trucking industry continues to grow in the year 2019. The average income wages continue to hold steady, but the number of needed drivers continues to rise. It is estimated that over the next 10 years, the trucking industry is looking at a 25% growth (ATA).

The trucking industry is very crucial to our way of life, especially with the comforts that we all enjoy daily. Commercial truckers carry about 70% of what you eat, own, wear, and drink (ATA). It is estimated that if all trucks halted their shipments, that grocery stores would run out of products within 3 days (Market Insider). So, the next time you pass by one of these 18-wheelers, let it be a reminder that they are the backbone of the United State’s market and our ability to function in our way of life today.