Auto Transport Fuel Consumption & Emissions Statistics (2025)
The U.S. auto transport industry consumes billions of gallons of fuel every year, primarily diesel — to move freight across the country. Despite advances in fuel efficiency, heavy-duty trucks remain one of the most energy-intensive segments of road transportation. Here’s a roundup of the most relevant and up-to-date fuel usage statistics in the U.S. auto transport sector: Fuel Use in the Auto Transport Industry Commercial trucks in the U.S. consumed 46 billion gallons of fuel in 2019 — up 3% from 2016 ( EIA.gov ). In 2022, freight trucks traveled a total of 331.3 billion miles , according to the Federal Highway Administration. Truck mileage rose 22% over the past decade , while fuel consumption only grew 7%, thanks to efficiency gains. Heavy-duty Class 8 trucks average around 6.2 MPG , while medium-duty trucks reach about 7.6 MPG ( EPA SmartWay ). A typical long-haul truck consumes nearly 10,000 gallons of diesel per year , based on national average usage estimates. Diesel remains do...