Respect and Gratitude for America’s Truck Drivers


Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/wp-content/themes/flexform/includes/plugins/aq_resizer-1x.php on line 86

Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /var/www/wp-content/themes/flexform/includes/plugins/aq_resizer-1x.php on line 87

New ICA Trucks 2015

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The profession of being a truck driver does not get the respect it deserves. Stop reading this article right now and glance around you. Just about everything you touch, use or eat has made its way to you in a tractor trailer. In fact, I challenge you to name anything you own that was never on a truck in some form, either raw material or finished goods.

I believe we are all a little bit guilty of having a negative reaction to “getting caught” behind a truck or cursing at one flying by on a rainy night or observing one weaving between lanes due to being distracted by a technological device. But if you stop to consider that there are over 3 million truck drivers on the road, you are bound to encounter one that does not demonstrate the professional driving attitude the majority portray. It is a profession that keeps the economy moving, literally, and it needs to be given the respect it deserves. It is a position that requires long hours away from home and for some drivers it is also very labor intensive.

So how can we start to show our support and respect?

ICA's Transportation Manager, Ernie Pool, speaking to audience about truck driver shortage

Click to read the full story at www.mcall.com

We agree with ICA’s transportation manager, Ernie Pool. “It is a good profession, a good way to make a living,” he says. But changes in the industry and people’s perceptions are needed to lure new interest to this profession that is in a major shortage across the country.

At a recent meeting Mr. Pool attended, held by Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board, he stated some changes that could be easily attained, such as painting the highway lines more frequently and reducing waits that drivers have to endure at warehouses. A change in attitude and perception perhaps will be a little more challenging, but if you just take one moment to think about where our economy would be without this profession, you might be a little more patient and courteous on your driving encounters. Try acknowledging a job well done.

For example, the other day I was sitting at a light and a tractor trailer driver had to make a difficult turn. I sit at this intersection every morning and watch most drivers jump over the curb. This driver not only had to maneuver this tight turn but also the car that discourteously pulled too far into the intersection. His skill got him around the turn without jumping the curb or making the car back up. It was impressive! I gave him a thumbs up and he gave me a smile. Maybe we all could be just a little more understanding and appreciative of the daily challenges our drivers encounter bringing our food and products across our great nation. It is truly a profession deserving our gratitude and respect.

Here are some trucking statistics from American Trucking Associations to think about:

• In 2014, trucks moved 9.96 billion tons, or 68.8%, of all domestic freight.
• The $700.4 billion in revenue accounted for 80.3% of all freight transportation spending.
• Trucking employed more than 7 million people, including 3.4 million drivers.
• Combination trucks logged 168.4 billion miles in 2013, or an average of 69,000 per truck.
• Since Deregulation, the number of registered motor carriers has grown by 68 times to more than 1.3 million carriers.
• Commercial trucks paid $16.5 billion in federal highway user fees in 2013.

Are you in the profession? We here at ICA are always looking for professional drivers. Ernie Pool, our transportation manager, is an industry veteran that keeps our fleet in top running condition and has a true commitment to his drivers and the industry. We recently added two new cabs to our fleet, ready to deliver EPS products to our customers across the northeast! Please contact us or stop by…

Insulation Company of America
2571 Mitchell Ave
Allentown, PA 18103

 


View Larger Map

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

This article was posted on October 30, 2015, by Insulation Corporation of America (ICA) – a Women-Owned manufacturer of Geofoam and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), which is commonly but mistakenly referred to as Styrofoam™. ICA is located in Allentown, PA and services the entire Mid-Atlantic Region from Virginia to Maine to Ohio.