News - Trucking Moves America

Memphis Business Journal: Trucking: The lifeblood of Tennessee’s economy

September 14, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Trucks — we see them every day on Tennessee roads. We ride alongside them on the highway. And we see their trailers, decorated with the logos of nearly every major industry that moves goods and services across our country.
Speeding Big Rig Semi Truck

And yet, many of us don’t make the connection that these trucks are delivering something that we’ll use today and rely on tomorrow: food on our tables, medicine to stay healthy, equipment for our military and the clothes on our backs.

Trucking is the only industry that directly ships to every community in America, rain or shine. This week, we are taking some time to thank these drivers for all they do each and every day.
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is not just a week to recognize professionals in the trucking industry but to honor professional drivers who are the backbone of America’s economy. Many might be surprised to learn that more than 91 percent of Tennessee communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods. Fewer trucks on the road would result in more expensive products, less interstate commerce and slower deliveries. Remove trucking altogether, and essential cargo would not arrive to our doorsteps at all.
Trucking is not only connecting the country and delivering goods that keep us healthy and comfortable, it’s also an economic engine that is valuable to our country and our state in many ways.
Here in Tennessee, the trucking industry means jobs. It accounts for about 180,900 of them — nearly one out of every 13 jobs in the state and a substantial portion of the nearly 7 million people employed nationwide in trucking jobs. Of Tennessee’s total industry jobs in 2013, truck drivers alone — whether heavy, tractor-trailer or delivery — made up nearly 74,350 jobs.

In Tennessee, the trucking industry is strengthening small businesses — an ever-important element of our local economy and arguably the most important part of our nation’s long-term economic stability. As of last April, there were more than 10,000 trucking companies located in our state, and most of them are small, locally owned businesses with fleets of 15 trucks or fewer.
The industry also helps other businesses stay efficient by delivering essential products that move our communities and families. Trucks transport 70 percent of the total manufactured tonnage in America — 11 billion tons of freight each year. Trucking helps other state businesses stay efficient by delivering those essential products that all of us need. Trucks transport 80 percent of total manufactured tonnage in the state — 626,633 tons per day.

The Volunteer state’s trucking industry keeps the larger, state-wide economy moving, allowing our businesses to prosper, to the benefit of business owners, employees, and consumers of all stripes. Total trucking industry wages paid in Tennessee for 2013 exceeded $7.7 billion. This economic activity brings in almost $596 million in federal and state roadway taxes. The industry paid 36 percent of all taxes owed by Tennessee motorists, despite trucks representing only 9 percent of vehicle miles traveled in the state.
Add these benefits together, and trucking is one of our best-kept secrets, driving our nation’s economy forward with every delivery. But such a vital economic driver doesn’t need to be and shouldn’t be a secret here in the Volunteer State, or anywhere. So next time you’re out on I-40 and a tractor-trailer passes by, or you’re at the local grocery as a truck docks in the delivery bay, you’re not just looking at an impressive 18-wheeler traveling the road with food that will stock the shelves; you’re looking at a vital machine that powers Tennessee’s economy.

The Trucker: TMAF launches ad campaign in conjunction with NTDAW

September 14, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Print advertisements will appear in daily newspapers in major markets throughout the country. (Courtesy: TMAF)

The Trucker News Services

9/14/2015

Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), an industry-wide image and education movement, said Monday it was launching an advertising campaign targeted to consumers as part of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which began Sunday.

The campaign aims to demonstrate that professional truck drivers are everyone’s friends, family and neighbors.

Print advertisements will appear in daily newspapers in major markets throughout the country including: Sacramento, California; Billings, Montana; Omaha, Nebraska; Houston, Dayton, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Orlando.

“Professional drivers are the lifeblood of America’s economy, hauling goods and products that we use every day, and this week we say thank you to the drivers,” said Kevin Burch, TMAF co-chair and president of Jet Express. “Over 3 million professional truck drivers travel our roads every day, and we are proud to celebrate our drivers’ commitment to safety, excellence and community.”

Burch highlighted the impact of professional truck driver on the American economy:

• There are 3.4 million truck drivers in the U.S.

• Professional truck drivers drove over 421 billion miles in 2014.

• Most individual long-haul drivers average 100,000 to 110,000 miles of driving per year; regional and city drivers will drive an average of 48,000 miles.

• The job of a truck driver is paramount. Trucking remains the dominant mode of freight transportation, hauling over 68 percent of domestic freight in 2014

• Truck drivers deliver life’s necessities. 80 percent of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities.

“There’s a story to tell about how integral the trucking industry is to America’s economy, and without our drivers, America simply would not move forward,” Burch said. “Our drivers often do not receive the respect they deserve, and this is just one week out of the year to remind us of their critical role in moving our nation’s economy.”

Burch said TMAF is encouraging the industry and general public to get involved and #ThankADriver this week.

To join the movement, go to www.truckingmovesamerica.com

The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article ateditor@thetrucker.com.

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http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2015/9/14/TMAFlaunchesadcampaigninconjunctionwithNTDAW.aspx

Argus Leader: Letter: Trucking: A bedrock of S.D.’s economy

September 12, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Trucks – we see them every day on South Dakota roads. We ride alongside them on the highway. Long-haul trucks travel those roads delivering the goods we rely on every day; food, clothing and medical supplies throughout the Mount Rushmore state.

This week, beginning today through Saturday, as our country celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, let us not forget the sacrifices and strides these hard-working men and women of the professional trucking industry make every day to move America.

Seventy-one percent of the communities in S.D. depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods. In fact, trucks moved 74 percent of total manufactured tonnage in the state. The trucking industry also means jobs. In 2013, there were 21,000 industry jobs in the state; that’s one out of 16. Total industry wages paid in 2013 exceeded $.8 billion.

Small businesses win, too. There are more than 3,650 trucking companies in S.D., and most of them are small, locally-owned businesses.

So, next time you’re traveling on the Interstate and a semi passes by, you’re not just looking at an impressive 18-wheeler; you’re looking at a vital machine powering S.D.’s economy.

http://www.argusleader.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/09/12/letter-trucking-bedrock-sds-economy/72158230/

Louisville Business First: Trucking: A Bedrock of Kentucky’s Economy

September 11, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Trucks – we see them every day on Kentucky roads. We ride alongside them on the highway. And we see their trailers, decorated with the logos of nearly every major industry that moves goods across our country.

These professional drivers are the fabric of our communities and are our friends, former classmates and family members.

Trucking is the only industry that ships directly to every community in America, and it touches nearly every aspect of our lives.

Trucking not only connects the country and delivers goods that keep us healthy and comfortable, it’s an economic engine that creates jobs and sustains businesses through the country.

This week, as our country celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, let’s celebrate the strides the hard-working men and women of the professional trucking industry make every day to move America. After all, trucking is the only industry that directly ships to every community in America, rain or shine.

Here in Kentucky, the trucking industry means jobs. It accounts for about 109,000 jobs and growing – a substantial portion of the nearly 7 million people employed nationwide in trucking jobs.

Many truck companies are owner-operated, with more than 90 percent driving their own small, independent business.

Many might be surprised to learn that 89 percent of Kentucky communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods. Fewer trucks on the road would mean more expensive products, less interstate commerce and slower deliveries. If trucking was removed altogether, then essential cargo would not arrive to our doorsteps at all.

The trucking industry allows businesses to prosper – to the benefit of business owners, employees, and consumers. Collectively, Kentucky trucking industry wages paid in 2013 exceeded $4.6 billion.

These well-paid, middle-class jobs range from professional drivers to the mechanics, logistics specialists and vendors who work behind the scenes to keep trucks on the road.

In Kentucky, the trucking industry is strengthening small businesses – an ever-important element of our local economy and arguably the most important element of our nation’s long-term economic stability.

Trucking helps other state businesses stay efficient by delivering essential products that all of us need.

Trucks transport 77 percent of total manufactured tonnage in the state – 355,305 tons per day. As of last April, there were more than 14,000 trucking companies in our state, and most of them are small, locally owned businesses with fleets of 15 trucks or fewer.

In times of crisis, our trucking industry is there to deliver goods and supplies to help communities rebuild – from food and housing relief to first aid.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, as many as 32 food trucks were dispatched, each serving more than 500 meals to storm victims in areas without access to food or restaurants.

Add these benefits together, and trucking is one of our best-kept secrets, driving our nation’s economy forward with every delivery. But such a vital economic driver doesn’t need to be, and shouldn’t be, a secret here in Kentucky, or anywhere.

So, the next time you’re on an interstate and a tractor-trailer passes by, or you’re at the local grocery as a truck docks in the delivery bay, you’re not just looking at an impressive 18-wheeler traveling the road with food that will stock the shelves. You’re looking at a vital machine for Kentucky’s economy.

Link: Louisville Business First

Portland Press Herald: Trucking is a vital engine powering Maine economy

September 7, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Trucks – we see them every day. We ride alongside them on Interstates 95 and 295, major local thoroughfares for commerce in the Pine Tree State. The professional truck drivers we see on our roads are delivering the items we rely on every day: food, clothing and medical supplies to counties and towns throughout the state.

Next week, as our country celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, let us not forget the sacrifices and strides these hardworking men and women of the professional trucking industry make every day to move America. After all, trucking is the only industry that directly ships to every community in America, rain or shine

Eighty-four percent of Maine communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods. And trucks are moving 90 percent of the total manufactured tonnage in the state – that’s 133,500 tons daily.

The fact is fewer trucks on the road would mean more expensive products, less interstate commerce and slower deliveries. Remove trucking altogether and essential cargo would not arrive to our doorsteps at all.

Trucking is an economic engine driving our communities. In Maine, the trucking industry means jobs. In 2013, the industry accounted for 29,780 jobs – one out of every 16 jobs in the state – contributing to the nearly 7 million people employed in trucking jobs nationwide.

With an average annual industry salary of over $34,055, professional drivers are a large part of Maine’s economic growth. Total industry wages paid in Maine in 2013 exceeded $1.2 billion.

Add these benefits together, and trucking is one of our best-kept secrets. So next time you’re traveling the interstate and a semi passes by, it’s a good reminder that you’re looking at a vital machine powering Maine’s economy.

Kevin Burch

co-chair, Trucking Moves America Forward; president, Jet Express Inc.

Dayton, Ohio

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/09/07/letter-to-the-editor-trucking-is-a-vital-engine-powering-maine-economy/www.pressherald.com/2015/09/07/letter-to-the-editor-trucking-is-a-vital-engine-powering-maine-economy/

Grand Forks Herald: Duluth trucker transforms life, credits God, fitness center, trainer for health turnaround

August 25, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

DULUTH, Minn. — It was November 2014, and things were coming to a head for Tony Bester.

Overweight and diabetic, the Duluth man knew his longtime career as a truck driver was in jeopardy. His A1C reading — a measure of glucose in the blood — was between 10 and 12, high enough that he might soon require insulin. That would mean he could no longer drive a truck.

He was a heavy drinker and regular smoker, and he felt tired all the time.

Then, he learned one of his best friends had been diagnosed with kidney cancer.

“And I remember going home that day,” the 51-year-old recalled recently. “I went home, and I just fell on my knees. And I prayed. I asked God: Do something for me.

“After that, I started going to the gym.”

Bester, who lives in Gary-New Duluth in the winter and in his fifth-wheel camper along Spirit Lake the rest of the year, enrolled at the Anytime Fitness franchise in West Duluth. He signed a yearlong contract with the fitness center and with trainer Ashley Johnson for twice-weekly sessions.

“That way, I knew I’d never be able to quit,” said Bester, a soft-spoken man with gray hair and neatly trimmed facial hair who was wearing a silver cross around his neck during a recent interview. “I had to keep doing it. I don’t know if I would have found excuses or not, but I know in the past I had. So, it seemed like if I committed myself to do it, I would do it.”

Transformation

He did more than that. Bester gave up drinking and smoking. He changed from a diet that was heavy on pasta, red meat and pizza to a diet featuring vegetables, poultry and seafood.

The results are eye-popping. At 5 feet, 9 inches tall, Bester went from 295 pounds last Nov. 24 to 203 pounds on Aug. 7 on the Anytime Fitness scales — but he lost more than 100 pounds according to the scale at his doctor’s office.

His waist size went from 50 to 33. He doesn’t need insulin — in fact, he has been able to drop the medications he was taking for diabetes. His A1C has dropped to 4.5 — a normal level for someone who doesn’t have diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In the bad old days, Bester said, “I wanted to sleep all the time. I’d eat, saunter back to the couch, and that’s where I’d sit until I woke up and went to bed at night.”

Now, Bester said, he has a hard time sitting still.

‘I’ve gotta work out’

After working a double shift the day before a recent interview, Bester had stopped at Anytime Fitness to exercise.

“If I don’t do it, I don’t sleep,” he said. “I’ve gotta work out or something. Otherwise my energy levels are so high, I don’t know what to do with myself.”

The fitness center doesn’t want him to work out more than five days a week, he said. He’s told he needs to give his body a chance to rest. So on the other two days, he “rests” by riding his bicycle — something he couldn’t have imagined a year ago.

“I wouldn’t have fit on a bike a year ago,” Bester said, laughing. “I think I would have broken it.”

How did he do it?

Bester emphasizes the spiritual side. He said he refound God, and that changed the way he saw himself.

“God showed me that there is still a good guy in there, even though I didn’t think there was,” he said. “Once I decided that, the rest of it came easy.”

The trainer

Help also came from the staff at Anytime Fitness and particularly from Johnson, who goes by AJ. “I had a good trainer,” Bester said. “She motivated me.”

In a phone interview later, Johnson said she had a special bond with Bester because he was her first client. Because of the damage to his knees from a 27-year career of driving a truck, Bester experienced aches and pains while working out, but he pushed through them, Johnson said.

“As soon as he started seeing the changes physically, his confidence just soared,” Johnson said. “He felt so much better about himself. There was no going back.”

Bester had been a driver for Jeff Foster Trucking in Superior for about a decade but was driving for a different company when he reached his turning point last November. In the meantime, Jeff Foster Trucking created the new position of health and wellness advocate and hired Duluth native Miriam Hanson in August 2014.

So, Hanson wasn’t aware of the “before” when Bester returned to the company a couple of months ago. But other people in the office were.

“When they saw him, they were like, ‘WHA …?’ ” Hanson recalled. “They barely recognized him. … Watching all of those dispatchers’ reactions was priceless.”

Big plans

A couple of Bester’s colleagues have been inspired to make lifestyle changes of their own, Hanson said.

Bester said he’s working his way toward a goal of weighing 180 pounds; then he’ll work on bulking up. He’s planning a 6-mile run before the end of summer and either a 50-mile or 100-mile bike ride.

And there’s more.

“Next summer, I want to do a whole Grandma’s (Marathon),” he said. “At least attempt it. And if I do it, great. If I don’t, all’s you can do is try.”

How would he have reacted to that idea the summer before?

“I would have laughed,” he said with a chuckle. “I would have told them whatever they were drinking to go back to drinking it, because it’s really good.”

He was telling his story, Bester said, because he hoped it would inspire others.

“I would like to see everyone do stuff like this, so they can feel good about themselves,” he said. “Because if you feel good about yourself, then you start liking the rest of the world. When you don’t feel good about yourself, it’s pretty hard to like other people.”

CCJ: Industry-promoting trailer wraps available from Trucking Moves America Forward

July 30, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Trucking Moves America Forward this week unveiled a trailer decal wrap program, which it says could help educate and inform the motoring public on the trucking industry, its workforce and its role in the economy.

“This year, I set a goal to see 100 wrapped trailers traveling our highways by the end of the year,” said Kevin Burch, TMAF vice chair and president of Jet Express. “These moving billboards not only demonstrate the importance of trucking to America’s economy but give our professional drivers an opportunity to showcase their profession while on the road, proudly delivering America’s goods.”

Pricing for the wraps starts at $2,300 for two sides and the rear, or $2,500 for two sides, the rear and two skirts. Wrap installation ranges from $1,200 to $1,600, according to TMAF.

Click here to learn more or to order a trailer wrap.

http://www.ccjdigital.com/industry-promoting-trailer-wraps-available-from-trucking-moves-america-forward/

Overdrive: Trucking Moves America Forward Introduces Trailer Wrap Program

July 29, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Trucking Moves America Forward has unveiled its trailer decal wrap program, which it believes will help push TMAF’s mission of educating the public on the trucking industry and those that work in it.

Pricing for the wraps starts at $2,300 for two sides and the rear, or $2,500 for two sides, the rear and two skirts. Wrap installation ranges from $1,200 to $1,600, according to TMAF.

Link: Overdrive Online

ATA Unveils 2015 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Logo

July 17, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

Logo Reveal Comes as ATA Opens NTDAW Online Store

On July 17, 2015 American Trucking Associations unveiled the 2015 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week logo and announced it has opened a new online store for NTDAW merchandise.

“National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a tremendous tradition, one that ATA is proud to carry on each year,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “We value the men and women who safely deliver our nation’s goods, and keep America moving forward, and we encourage fleets and shippers to honor their drivers for their hard work and commitment to the industry during this week and every week.”

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which ATA began celebrating in 1988, will be September 13-19. During that time, America takes the time to honor all professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment in tackling one of our economy’s most demanding and important jobs. These 3.4 million professional men and women deliver our goods safely, securely and on time.

The official NTDAW online store features affordable merchandise in a wide range of products and colors. The official NTDAW banner, which companies and organizations display during the week long festivities, is available in the online store. Orders must be placed by August 19.

“This year’s NTDAW logo incorporates the Trucking Moves America Forward insignia, the banner of our industrywide image movement,” said ATA Chairman Duane Long, chairman of Longistics, Raleigh, N.C. “It underscores how much we appreciate the effort our drivers make to move our nation and our economy forward.”

To request the NTDAW logo, please email NTDAW@trucking.org. The NTDAW online store is being operated by Shumsky.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook.

Trucking Moves America Forward.

http://www.trucking.org/article.aspx?uid=fa1c5be5-f9c7-4560-9b59-9eb71786c527

America depends on long-term highway funds

July 3, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

By Kevin Burch

Bipartisan bickering continues to imperil the prospects of a long-term highway bill. Instead of providing certainty to members of the trucking industry, Washington is at it again with its favorite game of punting on passage of a long-term highway bill. Our industry is at a crossroads, and Washington needs to realize that trucking is the lifeblood of the American economy. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, our drivers, mechanics and member companies safely move the goods and products that you need each day, from the fresh fruit and vegetables in the grocery store to critical medical supplies to those affected by natural disasters. If you bought it, chances are a truck delivered it.

Trucking remains an integral part of our economy. In 2014 alone, trucking carried over 65 percent of our nation’s domestic freight and pumped over $700 billion into America’s economy. More than 7 million people have careers in the trucking industry.

We’re proud of the hard work we do to move our nation forward, and Americans should not have to settle for a transportation system that is second best. Countries around the world strive to provide certainty to businesses and their economies by modernizing and investing in transportation networks. America can and should make these same commitments and improvements to ensure efficiency, secure our future and maintain our global competitiveness.

Unfortunately, Congress has given America’s transportation system patch after patch, with more than 30 extensions and five revenue shortfalls in transportation funding in the past decade. Well-maintained roads and bridges are important to highway safety. America’s highways and roads need a serious, long-term plan to fix bridges and improve roads instead of failed short-term fixes to the potholes.

The cost of inaction has been steep, with costs topping $200 billion from delayed or canceled road construction projects, productivity costs and automobile repairs.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, congested roads total an estimated $100 billion per year in wasted time and fuel. With roads in such a poor state, motorists take an additional financial hit by losing 5.5 billion hours sitting in congestion and spend an average of $324 per year in vehicle repair and operating costs. If we continue on this path, costs will climb for products, the industry and for consumers as productivity is reduced.

Yet the professional trucking industry, representing more than 3 million professional drivers, continues to step up to the plate, making significant modernizations, implementing high fuel-efficiency standards and adopting critical safety improvements. Increased training also emphasizes fuel-saving driving techniques and promotes more freight hauling and packaging practices.

In the past 40 years the truck-involved fatality rate has decreased 74 percent since 1975 and in the last decade alone, it has dropped 17 percent, even with the industry operating an additional 2.7 million trucks and driving an additional 54 billion miles. More trucks, billions more miles, fewer crashes. We are proud of our long-term safety strides and know that this progress has improved our roads for professional drivers and everyday motorists

Congress has an opportunity to show the trucking industry and general public that our nation’s leaders take seriously the duty to repair our aging infrastructure. Too many of America’s major roads have deteriorated into poor or mediocre condition. Let’s show the world that we can come together to make America’s highways and thoroughfares better and safer for the nearly 300 million American motorists who rely on our transportation system. Pass a fully funded, long-term highway funding bill that can move all Americans forward.

Burch is co-chairman of Trucking Moves America Forward.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/246474-america-depends-on-long-term-highway-funds