QIC headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee. And while Memphis is known worldwide as the pork BBQ capital of the world, home of the blues, birthplace of rock n’ roll, and home of Elvis – there is perhaps an even more significant moniker associated with the Bluff City.
Memphis is also a major distribution hub; home to the largest and busiest cargo airport in North America, the fifth-largest inland port, and a city with more intermodal rail terminals than any other but Chicago. With the enormous amount of freight coming into and moving through the Memphis metro area, you are certain to see a lot of trucks on the highways in and around the city.
Truck Drivers Keep America Moving
The number of trucks on the highway should be a reminder of the appreciation and gratitude owed to the professional drivers who keep America moving – but most of us simply don’t stop and consider how important these men and women are to our daily lives.
Thirty-six years ago the American Trucking Associations (ATA) founded National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW) – an annual time to express appreciation for our professional truck drivers.
Chris Spear, ATA President and CEO remarked, “The conveniences of modern life have instilled a quiet confidence in every American that we can effortlessly get what we want, precisely when we want it. But that reality is only possible thanks to the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of America’s truck drivers. Our country’s reliance on truck drivers is absolute, and our appreciation for them must be as well.”
Trucking By the Numbers
It is staggering to realize how accurate Spear’s statements are, both on a regional and national scale. In Tennessee, for example, the impact of trucking is clear.
- Tennessee is home to 10,190 trucking companies
- 1 in 13 Tennessee jobs are in the trucking industry. This ranks 3rd in the U.S.
- 90.5 percent of Tennessee communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods
From a national perspective, the numbers are even more impressive. According to truckinfo.net –
- There are 13 million trucks registered in the U.S., 2.9 million of which are semi-trucks
- 1.86 million companies operate a semi-truck, straight truck, or other hazmat truck
- There are 3.5 million truck drivers in the U.S.
- Professional truck drivers travel over 330 billion miles per year
- Over 11 billion tons of freight is delivered by truck per year
- 70 percent of the nation’s freight is delivered by truck per year
ATA Chairman Andrew Boyle said, “From coast to coast, we are celebrating American’s professional truck drivers for their unwavering dedication and unparalleled commitment to keeping our roads safe and delivering our goods on time.”
Please join in the celebration the week by showing appreciation for the professional truck driver(s) in your life. Without their dedicated service, our daily lives would be dramatically different and more difficult.