Trucking is integral to the country’s economy. Drivers are responsible for transporting 70 percent of the United States freight. 80 percent of US communities are dependent on trucks for their medicine, food, raw materials, and other essentials. Without the constant deliveries from trucks crossing state and country borders, many of us wouldn’t be able to receive our needs or go about our daily lives. Major industries such as construction, healthcare, and utilities depend on the behind-the-scenes work of truck drivers.
For a complete picture of the industry’s importance, here are the top 5 reasons truck drivers are important to our economy.
Transportation of Essential Goods
Truck drivers are responsible for getting shipments to our grocery stores safely and on time. Our goods are delivered to us in temperature-controlled vehicles that are carefully monitored by truck drivers. This ensures that the food we bring home to our families is safe to eat. Our essential needs are met because truck drivers deliver goods to grocery stores and restaurants efficiently and safely.
The oil and gas industries also depend on truck drivers for the safe transportation of fuel. Truck drivers have the skills and experience to ensure petroleum gets to customers safely. Drivers also help maintain delivery schedules so companies can receive their products on time. These deliveries help our everyday run smoothly and ensure that essential vehicles can get to emergencies in time.
Drivers also deliver essentials such as medication and medical equipment to hospitals. Without these medical supplies, healthcare workers wouldn’t be able to care for patients and save lives. These deliveries are especially crucial during a crisis, as we saw during the high hospitalization rates due to COVID-19 in the past years.
Our everyday needs are being constantly fulfilled by the efficient and skilled work of our delivery truck drivers. They help keep our businesses, hospitals, and our own homes operating at full capacity.
Connect Businesses
Technology has brought businesses across the country and the world closer, helping them share ideas and make plans for innovation. Truck drivers help bring these ideas into reality by closing the distance between these businesses. Businesses are able to order supplies from anywhere in the world because of the time management and safe driving skills of truck drivers. They know the best routes and have a system in place to ensure that the supplies being exchanged between businesses are met, allowing partnerships to thrive. Companies need not worry about the logistics and can focus on the internal work required to grow their businesses.
Help Build Infrastructure
Truck drivers transport the supplies, materials, and equipment needed to complete construction projects—from roads to buildings and tunnels to bridges. This integral role helps communities to grow and, in cases of natural disasters, helps repair homes. These infrastructures have to be maintained as well, the timely delivery of lumber, steel, and concrete help keep foundations and structural integrity strong.
Truck Drivers Make Up a Large Part of the Workforce
Having a stable, well-paid workforce helps maintain the economy. The trucking industry provides stable jobs with an impactful purpose of maintaining our day-to-day lives. As time goes on, the trucking industry is becoming more diverse, more focused on employee safety and wellbeing, and more modernized by adopting smart technology. These improvements have helped create a better working environment for current truck drivers working hard behind the scenes and for future truck drivers.
Provide Help in Emergencies
Emergency supplies for hospitals and first responders come from truck deliveries. That’s why truck drivers are considered essential and part of the frontlines, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without their regular deliveries and on-time arrivals, many lives would have been lost. And even on an everyday basis, truck drivers are responsible for ensuring all medicines, equipment, and tools are in stock in places like hospitals and clinics.
Final Thoughts
The US economy cannot run and sustain itself without the essential work of truck drivers. Their deliveries affect every industry we depend on like food, construction, medicine, fuel, and retail. Apart from day-to-day needs, truck drivers ensure first responders and healthcare workers have the tools they need to save lives.
Learn more about how you can improve how your business operations meet these essential needs.
