This section provides Transportation Industry links and resources to assist your startup or small business. Additionally, you can also receive free professional business advice and free or low-cost business training from your local Small Business Development Center!
Industry Overview, Pandemic Impact and Recovery
The transportation sector, quite simply, comprises companies that move people, goods or the infrastructure to do so. Here we take a quick look at some of those industries focusing on land transport, and resources that support these companies.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2020 the transportation industry produced 37% of emissions with trucks producing 83% of these, making it the largest source contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. To aid in sustainability efforts through combating emissions, the Inflation Reduction Act provides incentives for investment in commercial green vehicles. Many trucking companies are fast moving to adopt the innovation of electric vehicle fleets. FedEx and Amazon made commitments to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2040 and 2030 respectively. However, the American Trucking Association addresses the capital constraints of trucking companies transitioning to electric fleets when small businesses make up 96% of the industry with fleets of 10 or fewer trucks.
The halt to manufacturing caused by shelter in place orders to mitigate the spread of COVID impacted many areas of the transportation industry. Even before the start of the pandemic, the trucking industry faced staffing shortages. Through 2021 and 2022, as many industries faced labor shortages, driver shortage projections continued at high levels. Understanding they key role of trucking in the U.S. economy, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Labor launched a Trucking Action Plan to address the various challenges to attract and retain drivers to the industry as well as support the small businesses that make up this sector.
Efforts also impacted the public transit ridership and even with most people returning to the workplace, continues to face challenges in returning to pre-pandemic ridership levels.
Transportation Industry Resources
Industry Data
- City Mobility Index – cities mobility scores from Deloitte
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics – offers statistics and analysis on numerous transportation sectors
- Freight Management and Operations – provides links to major sources of national freight transportation data
- Freight Transport – global charts, maps, data & industry outlooks by country from the Organistion for Economic Co-operation and Development
Legal & Regulations
- Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance – safety standards for the commercial vehicle industry
- Government Regulations – list of government agencies that regulate the transportation industry from the US Department of Transportation
- Hours of Service Regulations – summary of the HOS regulations for property-carrying and passenger-carrying drivers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – education, research, safety standards & enforcement
- Federal Transit Administration – providing financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems
- Passenger Carrier Regulations – regulations for the transportation of people by bus, van or limousine from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- State and Local Transportation – current law, regulations and guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Transportation Handbooks and Regulations – transportation audit resources from the U.S. General Services Administration
- Transportation Regulations – regulation and policy from Journal of Commerce
Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)
- CDL Business Ideas – business ideas that require a CDL
- CDL Program – information from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- CDL Classifications – breakdown of the different CDL licenses and what they mean
- CDL Resources – resources & education to assist in getting your CDL
- CDL Training – complete guide to CDL training
- How to Get a CDL – complete guide for getting your CDL for each state
- Military Driver Programs – commercial truck and bus driver programs for service members and veterans from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- New CDL License Requirements – quick breakdown of changes to CDL requirements, and what that means for you
Trucking
- DAT Trendlines – market industry percent change trends
- Key Trucking Trends – industry outlook and trends from America Truck Driving School
- Reports, Trends & Statistics – industry data from the American Trucking Associations
- Trucker Resources – various resources from trucker slang to national road conditions
- Trucking Outlook – industry overview and outlook from Bloomberg
- Trucking Industry Trends – outlook and trends for employment for the trucking industry
- Trucking Resources – resources for the trucking industry from the U.S. Department of Labor
Logistics
- Trends in Logistics – a look at the changes in logistics from Inbound Logistics
- Logistics Trend Radar – trends and innovations that could impact logistics from DHL
- Starting a Logistics Business – steps to begin a logistics business from Thomasnet
- 3DL (Third Party Logistics) – everything you need to know about 3DL
- Tips for Logistics Businesses – Tips for starting a business in the logistics industry
Bus Transportation
- E-Buses – electric vehicle growth transforms bus transit in urban settings
- Intercity Bus Atlas – collects, compiles, publishes and archives scheduled intercity bus service information
- National Transit Database – transit ridership statistics from the Federal Transit Administration
- American Bus Association Research – research, data & economic impact
- TransitCenter Equity Dashboard – overview of transit equity in seven major U.S. cities
- School Bus Safety – school bus safety breakdown from the National Conference of State Legislatures
- Transportation of Students – resources and certifications for public and private student transportation
- Transportation for Private Schools – resources for school bus transportation
Ride Share
- Tax Breakdown for Ridesharing Drivers – tax considerations for ridesharing drivers as an independent contractor
- Ride-Ridesharing Trends – a look at the ride share industry and trends affecting it
- Ride Sharing Pros and Cons – quick look at legal and tax considerations for ride share drivers
- Ride Sharing Statistics – a look at how Americans use ride-hailing apps from the Pew Research Center
- Ride Sharing Trends – expert predictions for the ride sharing industry from Forbes
Non-Emergency Transport (NEMT)
- NEMT Facts – facts regarding NEMT
- NEMT Rates – how to charge for NEMT services
- Non-Emergency Medical Transportation – How to Start an NEMT Business
- Technology Solutions Landscape – a breakdown of technology advances in NEMT industry
- State Profiles – state-by-state profiles for examining the effects of non-emergency medical transportation brokerages on transportation coordination
Limousine & Taxi Services
- Safety Resources – regulatory information for limousine, van and small vehicle operators
- Taximeter Installation – assistance on the installation of taximeters by vehicle make and model
- Transport Trends – transportation trends and the taxi industry
Moving Services
- Domestic Migration Report – breaks down statistics of regional and county level migration from Census and Census Flows Mapper to track county-to-county migration
- How Much Do Movers Cost – a quick look at how movers charge for their services from Forbes
- Moving Statistics – statistics depicting annual moving trends
- Seasonal Moving Trends – a look at how the moving industry changes by season
- State of the American Mover – statistics and facts from Move.org
- Tips for Moving Businesses – quick tips on how moving companies can increase their sales
Transportation Industry Associations
- American Bus Association
- American Public Transportation Association
- Transit Center
- Logistics & Transportation Association of North America
- American Moving & Storage Association
- International Association of Movers
- National Limousine Association
- Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association
- America’s Independent Truckers’ Association
- American Trucking Associations
- The Transportation Alliance
Transportation Industry Publications
- Bus World
- School Bus Fleet
- School Transportation News
- Mass Transit Magazine
- Journal of Commerce
- Logistics Management
- Chauffeur Driven
- Fleet Owner
- American Trucker
- Overdrive
- Transport Topics
- Trucking Info
Additional Resources
Already in business or thinking about starting your own small business? Check out our various small business resources:
- View industry-specific research here: Market Research Links
- View more small business help topics here: Small Business Information Center
- View business reports here: Small Business Snapshots
- View our small business cybersecurity resources here: Cybersecurity
- View our pandemic business resources here: COVID-19 Publications
Remember, you can also receive free professional business advice and free or low-cost business training from your local Small Business Development Center!
Photo by Joey Kyber on Unsplash
