Trucking.....Can We Do Without It???

Not by a Long Shot. Trucking is what makes the "wheels" of commerce flow. Without Trucks, and Truckers, and Trucking, We would all be in a world of hurt............. Tx Stranger

Trucking Facts......NOT Fiction


Contrary to popular belief, Trucking is committed to safety, and has the records to prove it.. Our support for safety measures- such as the Commercial Drivers License, common-sense Alcohol and Drug testing, road-side truck inspection, and a ban on radar detectors, and installing Anti-lock braking systems on the nations trucks- have improved the industry's safety record drastically.
Nearly 42,000 people died on America's roads in 1997. In 87% of those fatalities, TRUCKS WERE NOT INVOLVED in any way. In the remaining 13% of the accidents, where a truck WAS INVOLVED, over 70% started with the driver of a car.
Since 1979, truck related accidents have decreased 20%. From 1987 to 1997, the accident rate involving Big Trucks was cut 33%, while the miles driven by Drivers INCREASED 43%.
Mile for Mile, Truckers have an accident rate of about one tenth (1/10) of that of car drivers. This should show the general public just who knows who's business. The Trucker is NOT the "Bad Guy" as deplicted by mainstream media, or by Law Enforcement.
The vast majority of trucks on the road today are in very good safety condition, and the conditions are continually improving. The number of trucks placed "OUT OF SERVICE" has dropped 45% in the past 10 years.
Trucking is the only job where one can get a heavy fine for working over-time. Trucking is the only job where if a Driver makes a simple mistake on his or her paperwork, and log sheets, can cost thousands of dollars in fines.
The D.O.T, or Dept of Transportation, is a unit of Law Enforcement that most Truckers believe is out to get them. If you are a Professional Driver, then you shouldnt have to worry about them. If you are a Professional Driver, you won't have to sweat it out when you get pulled over on the side of the road for an inspection. The DOT has a job to do, and so do You. And if each works together, then the jobs will be completed with no hassels. 
Tip: Keep your paperwork up to date drivers!!!!! And act like a professional even if you arent one.
Trucks pay a more than fair share of taxes to run on America's highways and byways. The average tax applied to a truck for traveling a mile on a road is close to 20 cents. So, a 1000 mile trip will cost a truck 200 US dollars . Tolls on some of America's highways have been raised also. It now costs a truck $42 dollars to cross New York city's George Washington Bridge. And to travel the whole length of the Ohio Turnpike for a 5 axle loaded semi is close to 40 dollars. To get out of New Jersey, a truck pays $13.75, a car pays $. 75.  Where is the justice in this? Cars dont pay anywhere near the amounts that a Trucker has to pay for hs truck.. It is very hard for a trucking company, or an owner/operator to make a living in today's times.
Truckers do more for the American economy that most even begin to think about. If the Drivers of today were to all go on strike, or to shut down for a week, this country would be crippled. Everything in today's society except the air that one breathes and the water that most people drink from a faucet was at one time or another, transported by a truck with a Driver behind the wheel.
Next time You see a Truck: dont think that it is something that is not needed. It is your Lifeline. For without that truck, or most importantly, the driver of that truck: Your life would be alot harder. Thank a Trucker today for a job well done. He or She deserves at least that much.