The U.S. trucking industry continues its strong growth. In fact last year revenue hit $700 billion, an industry record.
While there are nearly 500,000 for-hire fleets on the road today, more are needed. However expenses are increasing making it more difficult for small companies to expand. Increased costs are taking the form of higher pay rates and signing bonuses. There are also costs associations with new government regulations such as cap emissions and the limit on driver hours.
“The trucking industry is in higher demand than ever, but costs to operate are also at an all-time high,” says Darrin Landau of Merchant Cash USA, an alternative financing company. "Certain states are accommodating to truckers and the trucking lifestyle, but not all states operate that way.”
His organization surveyed 3,287 individuals involved in the trucking industry to find out where they thought the best and the worst states to be a trucker or own a trucking company were. The survey included asking questions such as cost of parking overnight, certain fees/regulations in particular states, if location in the U.S. mattered, and how friendly states were to drivers.
The survey results are the best, and worst, states to own a small trucking company or be a driver.