The world is in constant growth and it’s difficult to keep up sometimes. We as a population grow, and as we grow, the more is needed. Everything from building materials for homes, consumer goods for pleasure, and barrels of oil for our vehicles are circulated around the world. But how do we keep up with such a demand? Well, the answer is the same that we have had in the past, truck drivers.
Truck drivers run America. Without them, many of the goods and materials we need in the US would be stuck in the mud. And with the growth in shopping, everyone wants their items within a short time. Truck drivers are the answer for those consumers. When you break something and you order a replacement, don’t you want it fast? Well, truck drivers will get it to you fast, otherwise, you’re on your own. They spend all that time away from home, family, and friends, so all the products that people rely on go where they need to be.
Truckers move so much freight a year that the trucking industry itself has grown exponentially. The trucking industry revenue was recorded at $726.4 billion back in 2015… that’s huge. And the industry is expected to continue to grow, which is why we see the entrance of all these new manufacturing companies trying to enter the race for the autonomous truck. 2015 also had an annual recording of 10.49 billion tons of freight transported by trucks (data courtesy of the ATA). That only represents 70.1% of the total freight shipped domestically and it only includes primary shipments.
Without truck drivers, the movement of consumer goods would be severely limited. Oversized items and shipments rely on efficient ground transportation as they cannot be moved by air. But even air transportation relies on truck drivers to bring the good to them and take them away. One of the biggest issues would be the transportation of consumables. These items are essential for the population, not every region has access to beef, seafood, or crops like corn and wheat. Items like tropical fruits may not be available at all, as they require a long-distance haul that would be impossible without truck drivers… so say goodbye to come of your favorite fruits.
The production in the US is also regional, so like we mentioned earlier, oil, metals, automobiles, and other such productions would be devastated as they could not reach their destinations. With automobile manufacturing so distant from domestic oil, the hopes of a new car are thrown out the window (but not your car window, as you may not have one). And then the materials needed to make those cars are also distant, so you can see the trend that is going on here…
Truck drivers keep the wheel moving, and frankly, it doesn’t look great if we lost them. Remember this the next time you see a truck driver! Thank you for making all of what is good possible!
