The transportation industry is a very important one here in the United States, and one that is currently experiencing considerable growth. As a matter of fact, the overall amount of goods being transported through this industry is very much a growing number. Back in the year of 2013, only around 15 billion tons of freight was moved (though this is still certainly a considerable amount and not one that should be overlooked by any means). But by the time that we make it to the year of 2040, now just a couple of decades in our future, the total amount of freight being transported is likely to climb to very nearly 19 billion tons over the same span of a single year.
And this is far from the only way in which the transportation industry has grown, at least in the course of recent years. In addition to the growth seen in the sheer amount of goods transported, the sheer value of these goods has also actually increased. By the time that we reach that same year of 2040, a single ton of cargo is likely to be worth very nearly $1,400. This is a stark comparison to the worth of a ton of cargo back in the year of 2013, during which it was worth only around $880 per ton ($882, to be just a little bit more precise.
And growth within the industry has led to growth for the number of services that are offered in said industry. After all, services like less than truckload shipping have taken off. The data that has been gathered on the subject is more than in support of this claim, showing that the market for less than truckload shipping services alone has increased to a total worth of $35 billion. And in the years that are ahead of us, the prominence of less than truckload shipping services and less than truckload logistics is still likely to keep climbing.
But why, exactly, have less than truckload shipping services become so important and less than truckload shipping rates so very much in demand? In many ways, we can attribute this prominence to the growth of e-commerce. Here in the United States alone, let alone in any other country throughout the world, e-commerce already brings in more than $420 billion in revenue on a yearly basis. And, fortunately, this number is expected to increase exponentially in the years that are ahead of us. And less than truckload shipping services and the truckload carriers used to transport this less than truckload freight have helped to push this growth. After all, less than truckload shipping services help one to get their goods as quickly as is possible, something that is not to be underestimated in terms of overall importance.
And though less than trucking shipping services have become critical in many ways, less than truckload shipping is far from the only prominent way in which the transportation industry has grown. In addition to less than truckload shipping, trade show shipping has also become hugely important. After all, there are now more convention centers to be found than ever before, with as many as 252 of them open throughout the United States. Trade show shipments, like many other things in this area of work, have only increased over the course of recent years as the demand for trade show logistics has been seen to grow considerably as well. In the years that are to come, it will grow and grow even further.
There is no denying the importance of the transportation industry and all of its different facets. For a great many people, the transportation industry plays a valuable part in their lives. And as more than five and a half million people are employed by the transportation industry, it is clear to see that this industry and its success are integral to the overall stability of many a household and family found all throughout the country. Ultimately, the overall importance of this is not something that can or should be underestimated or though of as lacking in importance, as the very opposite is what is actually true.