02/06/2018
If there’s any industry that Americans take for granted, it’s trucking. “Other modes combined don’t even add up to this,” says Bob Costello, chief economist of the American Trucking Associations, citing the statistic that trucks are responsible for 68% of all freight tonnage in the U.S.
Consider what would happen if every truck were pulled off the road: There would be a perishable goods shortage within three days; drinking water would disappear within two to four weeks. Food supplies in hospitals would be gone in 24 hours. ATMs would be empty in two to three days. “Without a doubt, the sector’s contribution to the economy is significant,” says Costello. “I would challenge anyone to find a business that doesn’t rely on trucks to bring them either inputs into what they’re doing or their final product.”
Then there would be job losses. The trucking sector employs about 7 million people, half of whom are drivers, while 80% of U.S. communities depend on truck drivers for the delivery of everyday goods.
