Carrier Bankruptcies the "Worst Ever" Says Industry Researchers

Trucking has lived up to its reputation for the highest incidence of bankruptcy of any industry, says Transportation Technical Services.

The company's 2002 National Motor Carrier Directory lists some 22,000 trucking companies, including over 2,400 that are new to the directory this year.
“Last year’s NMCD had 27,000 carriers listed.. .you do the math,” said TTS Executive Vice President Ron Roth. “This is the worst we’ve seen it in 17 years of publishing the NMCD.”
To qualify for inclusion, carriers must file a current annual report with the U.S. Department of Transportation or state Public Utilities Commission, respond to a four-page mail survey or answer TTS researchers’ telephone questions. Roth says that other sources claim to have far more truckers than TTS, “but they don’t know how to subtract.”
The 2002 edition of the NMCD is available in print and on CD-ROM or can be accessed online via www.fleetseek.com. Carrier profiles include CEO and headquarters information, revenues, fleet size and commodities transported. TTS has also recently released a 2002 Canadian Motor Carrier Directory with information on 2,616 firms. Additional information is available at www.ttstrucks.com.