Small for-hire motor carriers of freight and owner operators

There were 5,700 for-hire motor carriers of freight with revenue under $1 million in 2001. These small businesses represented more than 60% of motor carriers in the for-hire trucking industry.

Total operating revenues were $1.5 billion, about $265,000 per carrier. Overall, small carriers generated 6% of revenues in the sector. Total operating expenses were $1.4 billion, averaging $250,000 per carrier.

Intra-provincial movements accounted for more than 72% ($1.1 billion) of the operating revenues generated from transporting goods, while international movements accounted for 19% ($282 million) and interprovincial movements, 9% ($134 million).

On average, these carriers had five employees (including owner operators), four full time and one part time, and they operated one straight truck, three road tractors and three semi-trailers.

There were 35,931 trucking firms self-identified as owner operators in 2001, about the same number as 2000. Just about all of these carriers (99%) had revenues under $1 million.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of the owner operators offered their services to for-hire carriers, while the remaining owners worked for private carriers (21%) or both for-hire and private carriers (6%).

Total operating revenues were almost $6.6 billion in 2001, about $184,000 per carrier. This represented a 4.2% increase in total revenues from 2000. Total operating expenses were $5.9 billion, about $165,000 per carrier.

Intra-provincial movements accounted for 64% ($4.2 billion) of operating revenues generated from hauling goods, while international movements accounted for 24% ($1.6 billion) and inter-provincial movements, 12% ($796 million).

These carriers, on average, had two employees and they operated one road tractor and one semi-trailer.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2800.

A special bulletin, The Service Bulletin: Surface and Marine Transport, Vol. 20, no. 5 (50-002-XIE, $11) containing a wide range of financial and operating data from the 2001 Annual Survey of Small For-Hire Carriers of Freight and Owner-Operators is now available.

For general information or to order data, contact Ronald Chrétien (613-951-8774; ron.chretien@statcan.gc.ca). For more information about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Ed Hamilton (613-951-6153; fax: 613-951-0579; ed.hamilton@statcan.gc.ca), Transportation Division.