The 50 largest U.S. trucking companies saw revenue rise a collective 9.4 percent to $85.4 billion in 2010, after shrinking 17.7 percent during the recession in 2009, according to The Journal of Commerce's list of the Top 50 Trucking Companies of 2010.
According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the trucking industry adds about 5% to the Gross Domestic product each year.
The decrease in competition has led to improved cargo tonnage for surviving trucking companies. American Trucking Association (ATA) Chief Economist Bob Costello commented that he expects the "truck freight tonnage to grow modestly during the first half of 2011 and accelerate in the latter half of the year into 2012."