If there is any industry that Americans take for granted, it's undoubtedly trucking. There are roughly 3.5 million truck drivers collectively moving nearly 70% of all freight tonnage in the U.S. Without this essential industry, we would experience a food shortage within 72 hours, gas station fuel would diminish within 48 hours, manufacturing would shut down within hours, and ATMs would run dry almost immediately. The trucking industry is an integral part of our economy, without it America would stop. 

Overall, trucking is roughly a $680 billion industry employing over 7 million employees. This crucial industry touches the operations of just about every industry in America, making it truly the backbone of our nation. If that isn't enough to get you excited about this heavy duty industry, here's 9 cool facts about trucking.

Still hungry for more facts? Let's keep going:

10. Over-the-road truck engines are designed to travel more than one million miles before being retired, whereas car engines are expected to go just 200,000 miles.

11. The average big rig carries 80,000 pounds of freight at one time. That’s 40 tons of goods and products.

12. The trucking industry consumes roughly 50 billion gallons of gasoline every year, which is nearly 13% of the country's total fuel consumption.

13. Charles Freuhauf invented the first tractor-trailer over one hundred years ago in 1914 when a customer wanted a vehicle that could haul a boat

14. The average small business trucker can travel as much as 115,000 to 125,000 miles annually. That works out to more than 240 nights away from home out of the 365 days of the year and can add up to over 3 million miles over a trucker’s career.

15. The majority of the trucking companies in America are small businesses.