About Us
Trucks Move America Forward. We have a story. Help us share it!
Our Mission
The mission of Trucking Moves America Forward is to establish a long-term industry-wide movement to create a positive image for the industry, to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the importance of the trucking industry to the nation’s economy, and to build the political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry in the future.
What We Do
Every day, millions of trucks travel across the United States to help move America forward.
Whether you are a student, mother, homeowner, doctor, business executive or politician, you depend on trucks to deliver essential foods, medicines, office supplies, computers, cribs, and other products that help you live every day.
Most Americans don’t realize how essential trucks are to their lives until there is a severe weather or adverse condition that prevents trucks from delivering.
But the fact is trucks are critical to our national and global economy, to our families, to our businesses, and so much more. When they stop moving, the country stops moving.
By telling our story—educating the public and working with policymakers at the state and federal level—we can ensure that the trucking industry remains the thriving industry it is today.
Economic Growth & Jobs
- Trucks drive economic growth and jobs in America—in fact, the industry currently supports 7.65 million jobs, including 3.36 million professional drivers.
- Today, there are more than 80,000 driver jobs and 600,000-700,00 technician jobs open in the trucking industry.
- Trucking is mostly made up of small businesses – with 91.5% operating six or fewer trucks and 97.4% operating fewer than 20 trucks.
Safety
- Truck drivers are skilled professionals who are required to follow stringent safety regulations and willingly work with the public to educate them on how to drive with tractor-trailers on the road.
- Trucking organizations regularly recognize drivers for accident-free driving records.
- The trucking industry strives for safer highways and has seen overall declines in truck-related crashes and fatalities over the past decade.
- The trucking industry invests at least $10 billion in safety improvements each year.
Technology
- Today’s modern trucks are equipped with technologies that not only make them safer, but also smarter and more fuel-efficient than they’ve ever been before.
- In addition to safety and environmental advances, new truck technology makes trucks more reliable, making just-in-time delivery possible and even improving the quality of food and other goods upon their delivery.
Sustainability
- The trucking industry is committed to improving the environment. Many companies have participated in a sustainability program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one billion tons and fuel consumption by 86 billion gallons over 10 years.
- Trucks are embracing green technologies—hybrid electric and engine-powered systems—that reduce idling time and air pollution.
Community Partner
- Trucks connect and grow communities across the country every day, one truck at a time. And during times of community need, we deliver.
- Trucks perform a massive service to victims of natural disaster, delivering everything from food to housing relief and first aid to hauling away debris. And when the immediate crisis is over, trucks deliver the essentials to rebuild those communities.
- Following Hurricane Sandy, as many as 32 food trucks were dispatched on any given day, serving over 500 meals apiece to storm victims in an area that was without access to food or restaurants.
- During the Flint, Michigan water crisis, Ohio-based Jet Express, Inc. launched a campaign to donate and deliver water bottles to Flint residents. Jet Express alone delivered 230,000 bottles and numerous other trucking companies, including Michigan’s Holland Inc., joined the effort.
- In response to the flooding in Baton Rouge and other parts of Louisiana in 2016, trucking once again stepped up to help, keeping trucks going and packing others with donated supplies for victims.
- After Hurricane Florence struck southern coastal communities, trucking united to help those in need by collecting donations and delivering the supplies to communities impacted by the storm. One truck driver created a mobile Noah’s Ark to rescue animals from shelters before and after the storm.
- Truck drivers were one of the essential workers on the road when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Drivers delivered food, supplies and medication to homes, stores and hospitals after nationwide shutdowns were implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
- To aid recovery efforts during the wildfires in Oregon, Boshart Trucking, Inc. of Tangent, Oregon assisted through the coordination of evacuations for local families and their livestock; the collection of and coordination of donations and the delivery of hay bales to assist communities devasted by the fires with erosion control.
- For more on the industry’s charitable efforts and giving back, please visit the TMAF Blog: https://medium.com/@
TruckingFWD
