The industry of transportation is a very important one here in the United States, of this there is no doubt. As a matter of fact, this has been the case for a good deal of time now, and is not something that is likely to change anytime soon. The growth of the transportation industry has been quite impressive – and is something that is more than backed up by the data that has been gathered on the subject. Altogether, we are only likely to see great things from this industry in the years that are ahead of us.
For one thing, the actual amount of cargo being shipped is on the rise. In the year of 2013, now a number of years in the past, only around 15 billion tons were being shipped per year. While this was still an impressive number, it has already grown considerably. And by the time that we reach the year of 2040, it is anticipated to reach nearly 19 billion tons on this same yearly basis. Therefore, we are expected to see quite a lot of growth over the course of only a couple decades.
And this is not the only way in which growth will be seen. In addition to the growth of the physical amount being shipped throughout the country, the actual value of the cargo is also on the rise. By the time that we reach that same year of 2040, now just a couple of decades ahead of us, we will see that one ton of cargo is worth more than $1,300. This is a stark contrast the value of a ton of cargo in the year of 2013, when a single ton of cargo was worth only just over $880. Therefore, it is clear that growth within this industry of transportation is quite imminent indeed.
The number of people employed through this industry is also on the rise. After all, there are now up 12 million various vehicles and methods of transportation being used throughout the industry. This means that now more than five and a half million people are necessary to keep it operating smoothly. Therefore, the transportation industry and its growth have led to impressive job growth within the United States, something that betters the lives of millions throughout the country – as well as the country as a whole, of course.
But why is this the case? For one thing, there are more subsections of the transportation industry than ever before. Trade show freight shipping provides just one example. In trade show freight shipping, trade show freight carriers service trade shows around the country. As the number of trade shows grows, so too will the need for trade show logistics and trade show shipments – and therefore trade show freight services.
But trade show freight services are only just one example of a specialty shipping service within the transportation industry. In addition to these trade show freight shipping services, LTL shipping is also on the rise. LTL shipping, also known as less than truckload shipping, is a subsection of the transportation industry that is now worth over $30 billion – and is only growing along with the rest of the industry. Therefore, it has become clear that the industry is growing in many different ways, in many different directions.
But what is the root cause behind it all? To sum it up, online shopping. There is no doubting the fact, after all, the e-commerce has been growing steadily more prominent throughout the course of recent years. Now, it is worth more than $420 billion in revenue throughout the course of just one year – and that’s only here in the United States alone, let alone elsewhere in the world where e-commerce has also made a name for itself. Ultimately, the convenience of online shopping is a compelling one, and many people are buying goods, driving up the demand for things like less than truckload shipping rates and logistics and the like.
At the end of the day, there is no denying the growth of the transportation industry and how it plays a role in life.
