Every morning, as you sip your coffee, flip on the lights and prepare for the day, the trucking industry has already touched your life in countless ways. From the coffee beans delivered to your local grocery store, to the lightbulbs keeping your home bright, and even the gas in your car — truck drivers were instrumental in ensuring you have access to the essentials. It’s a simple truth: without trucking, America would come to a standstill.
It’s a fact of life too often overlooked. ATA’s new campaign, Nothing Without Trucking, aims to remind Americans across the country of that pivotal role that trucking plays in our daily lives. By elevating the importance and enhancing the image of trucking in the public eye, our campaign seeks to mobilize a broad base of appreciation and support for our industry nationwide.
Trucking is the invisible backbone of the U.S. economy. The 8.5 million hardworking Americans employed in the industry connect rural communities to urban centers, farmers to grocery stores and manufacturers to consumers. Each year, truck drivers transport more than 11 billion tons of freight, representing more than 72% of the domestic tonnage. Every truck has a story to tell, and behind every delivery is a complex network of professionals — men and women from all walks of life — working together across a broad spectrum of disciplines to get goods where they need to be, securely and on time.
The drivers behind the wheel, technicians on the shop floor, dispatchers in the office and fleet managers overseeing operations are all committed to a shared mission: keeping our country connected. Nothing Without Trucking will highlight their experiences, putting a human face on the industry that Americans depend on most to receive their goods. These personal stories are the beating heart of our campaign.
This campaign will also tell the story of how our industry has evolved and innovated over the decades to uphold the values of safety, environmental responsibility and efficiency.
Trucking has no higher priority than preventing highway accidents, which is why the industry proactively invests $14 billion in training and technology every year. Today’s trucks come equipped with advanced safety technologies like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning systems, forward collision and blind spot warnings, and more. These crash-prevention measures help professional truck drivers safely navigate America’s vast and often congested roadways.
The industry has also made enormous strides in reducing our environmental impact. Through innovation and collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Greenhouse Gas Regulations in 2011 and 2016, the industry has cut CO2 emissions by 1.37 billion tons and put us on track to reduce oil consumption by 2.5 billion barrels by 2027. It would take 60 of today’s clean-diesel trucks to produce the particulate matter and NOx emissions of a single truck built in 1988.
It’s easy to forget how interconnected our country truly is. The fresh produce available in a supermarket in New York may have traveled from California; medical supplies crucial for hospitals in rural areas may have come from advanced research hubs. Trucking makes these logistical feats a reality. Without trucking, factories could not produce, store shelves would be bare, everyday necessities would not arrive on doorsteps and the economy would grind to a halt.
In a world where convenience is often taken for granted, it’s important to pause and recognize the vital role that trucking plays. So, the next time you buy groceries, fill your tank with gas, or order a package online, remember — none of it would be possible without the trucks on the road and the hardworking individuals who drive them.
We need everyone in the trucking industry to get involved, spread this message and show their support for America’s trucking industry. You can get started by visiting nothingwithouttrucking.com, following us on social media and sharing your own stories.
Trucking drives everything. It has made America what it is today, and it will retain this central role into the future. Because, in truth, there’s nothing without trucking.
