The size and scope of the trucking industry in the United States still amaze me, even after three decades of working in freight transportation. On a daily basis, Class 8 heavy duty trucks will travel more than 500 million miles over the 160,000-mile National Highway System while transporting approximately 30 million tons of freight.
For the trucking industry, each mile and every delivery must have one thing in common: a total commitment to safety. As a vice chair of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), I have had the opportunity to work alongside some of the nation’s largest and smallest carriers. I am continually impressed by the common thread that safety weaves through all elements and sectors of the trucking industry. Attend any ATA meeting and you will find passionate safety leaders who are deeply committed to the trucking industry leading the way with professional drivers on our nation’s highways.
In 2022, Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his team at the Department of Transportation released what will be the blueprint for highway users to improve safety. The National Roadway Safety Strategy Report highlights the challenges highway users face to improve safety — from urban to rural areas and from pedestrians to trucks. The report outlines five objectives to reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities: Safer People, Safer Roads, Safer Vehicles, Safer Speeds, and Post-Crash Care.
At a recent ATA meeting Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Robin Hutcheson spoke about the National Roadway Safety Strategy Report and issued a call to action for the trucking industry to join in with the Department of Transportation to implement this highway safety strategy. We would be wise to listen to Administrator Hutcheson. In 2023, let’s take the power of partnership with the Department of Transportation and the ATA to advance the objectives of the National Roadway Safety Strategy Report.