Traffic congestion on U.S. highways annually costs the trucking industry more than $63 billion in operating expenses, including wasted fuel, labor costs and vehicle wear and tear, according to a study by the American Transportation Research Institute for the American Trucking Associations. The study estimates congestion delays on U.S. highways result in more than 996 million hours of lost productivity, or the equivalent of having 362,243 commercial truck drivers sitting idle for an entire year. The costliest states for trucking congestion are:
1. Florida - $5.3 billion
2. Texas - $5.1 billion
3. California - $4.2 billion
4. New York - $3.9 billion
5. New Jersey - $3 billion
6. Illinois - $2.7 billion
7. Pennsylvania - $2.6 billion
8. Ohio - $2.5 billion
9. Tennessee - $2.3 billion
10. North Carolina - $2 billion
Source: "Cost of Congestion to the Trucking Industry, the American Trucking Associations."