The trucking industry in New York provides more than 285,000 jobs, or 1 out of 28 in the state, paying wages in excess of $15.9 billion annually.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer, held 62,360 jobs.
As of 2019, there were 37,590 trucking companies located in New York, most of them small, locally owned businesses. These companies are served by a wide range of supporting businesses both large and small.
Trucks transported 95 percent of total manufactured tonnage in the state in 2012 or 531,010 tons per day.
More than 89 percent of New York communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods.
Trucking pays its way
In 2018, the trucking industry in New York paid approximately $1.3 billion in federal and state roadway taxes, representing 37 percent of all taxes owed by New York motorists.
The trucking industry represents 6 percent of vehicle miles traveled in the New York State.
As of January 2020, a typical five-axle tractor-semitrailer combination paid $11,873 in state highway user fees and taxes in addition to $8,906 in federal user fees and taxes, in addition to the typical taxes paid by businesses in New York.
In 2018, New York had 113,533 miles of public roads over which all motorists traveled 123.5 billion miles. Trucking’s use of the public roads was 7.8 billion miles.
Trucking and the environment
In 2018, combination trucks consumed 100 billion fewer gallons of fuel than passenger vehicles in the U.S. and accounted for just 17 percent of the total highway transportation fuel consumed.
43% of U.S. commercial trucks are now powered by the newest-generation, near-zero emissions diesel technology.
New diesel truck engines produce 98 percent fewer particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions than a similar engine manufactured prior to 1990.
Sulfur emissions from diesel engines have also been reduced by 97 percent since 1999.
Source: American Transportation Research Institute