ATA Recognizes Professional Truck Drivers During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Trucking Associations is taking this week to honor the 3.4 million professional truck drivers that deliver America's freight safely and securely everyday.

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"Professional truck drivers deliver our nation's essential freight safely everyday," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves.  "As a result of this commitment, our nation's highways are the safest they have ever been, and our grocery shelves are stocked. We as a nation owe a great deal to the truck drivers out on our nation's roads everyday."  

During this National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Sept. 19-25, ATA and its state affiliates will mark the celebration by holding events across the nation.

The celebrations this week hosted by motor carriers, shippers and other trucking related industries include million-mile and safety awards, cash bonuses or gifts, an extra paid day off, a cup of coffee or windshield cleaning at truck stops, goodie bags with fresh fruit and water, free health checks, and numerous celebration meals – some lasting all week until every driver cycles through company headquarters. Office personnel at some companies are also encouraged to spend a few days out on the road to see the driver's side of their business.  Many celebrations will be kicked off with a video tribute to the professional truck driver.

ATA is again hosting a video contest focusing on the professional truck driver.  To view some of the industry submissions, click here.

The dates for upcoming National Truck Driver Appreciation Week celebrations will be: September 11-17, 2011; and September 16-22, 2012.

There are over 3.4 million professional truck drivers nationwide – delivering the goods U.S. consumers need every day of the year. Logging over 431 billion miles per year, trucks delivered 10.2 billion tons of freight in 2008, or 68.8 percent of total U.S. freight tonnage. Professional truck drivers are more essential to the national economy than ever before, and they're delivering their loads safely and professionally. To learn more about how essential the trucking industry is, visit www.ntdaw.org.

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.  www.truckline.com

THE U.S. TRUCKING INDUSTRY: KEEPING SAFETY FIRST

• The trucking industry is safer than ever according to statistics released by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Truck-involved fatalities dropped 20% in 2009 from the prior year. This marks the lowest number recorded by the U.S. Department of Transportation in history.  The current reduction marks the fourth straight annual decline.
• Truck occupant fatalities declined a remarkable 26% in 2009 from the prior year.  ATA estimates that when 2009 truck mileage figures become available later this year we will also see a reduction in the truck-involved fatality rate.
• Truck-involved fatalities have come down more than 33 percent since the new Hours of Service regulations first went into effect in 2004.

PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVERS AND THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY:

• Professional truck drivers drove over 431 billion miles in 2007, more than double 25 years ago.
• Most individual long haul drivers average from 100,000 to 110,000 miles driving per year; regional and city drivers will put in an average 48,000 miles behind the wheel; the average daily run for an over the road driver is nearly 500 miles.
• The trucking industry paid $38 billion in federal and state highway taxes in 2007.
• The trucking industry uses 55.1 billion gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline annually.
• There are 2.8 million tractor-trailers on the road in the U.S.
• There are 3.4 million truck drivers in the U.S.
• There are over 227,000 for-hire carrier and more than 280,000 private trucking companies in the U.S.; 96 percent of them have fewer than 20 trucks.
• In 2007, the trucking industry hauled 10.2 billion tons of freight, or 68.8 percent of total U.S. freight tonnage. Rail was the next busiest mode, moving 13.8 percent.
• Over 80 percent of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities.

*statistics quoted are most recent available

SOURCE American Trucking Associations