Data from sources like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) provide registration and operational data, but this is not a complete count of every single truck for several reasons:
* Data Lag: Official counts are often delayed and may not reflect the current situation.
* Definition Variations: Precise definitions of "operating" and "Class 8" can vary across datasets. A truck might be registered but not actively used.
* Private vs. Commercial: Data may not encompass all privately owned Class 8 trucks.
To get an estimate, you would need to combine data from multiple sources and make assumptions. Industry reports and analyses from organizations like the American Trucking Associations (ATA) may offer approximate figures, but even those are estimates with margins of error.
