TKO Graphix Brandwire

Life in America Without Trucking

∞ posted 3 weeks ago in logistics industries transportation industries trucking industry trucking politics

by Randy Clark

While researching the trucking industry’s impact on American consumers, I found this piece prepared by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) (pdf). This article effectively describes “The potential consequences of restricting or halting truck traffic in response to a national or regional emergency.”

According to Forbes Custom, “Trucking is the driving force behind all companies’ worldwide supply chains, moving nearly everything consumed in this country. Nearly 80% of U.S. communities receive their goods exclusively by truck. Virtually all U.S. goods touch a truck during at least one leg of the supply chain. Trucking moves nearly 70% of all freight tonnage in this country. Even goods that have traveled by railroads eventually wind up on a truck for the ‘last mile’ of the delivery.”

What would happen if the trucking industry suddenly disappeared from our lives?

• Groceries, fuel, medical supplies, garbage removal, and clean water would all soon become scarce.
• In a week or two, garbage and waste would become more than a nuisance and an eye sore. It would become a potential health hazard.
• Grocers would run out of perishables in two or three days.
• Banks would run short of cash and ATM’s would be out of money in as little as a day.
• Hospitals and pharmacies would begin running out of medications. For example, some would be out of oxygen in only a day or two.
• The clean water supply would quickly be disrupted, as vital cargo would not be shipped to water purification plants.
• Most gas stations would be out of fuel in less than a week, and some, in a day.

I believe many of us take the American trucking industry for granted. I know I have, but considering the statistics, it’s obvious how different our country would be without this vital industry, and the 10 million Americans it employs.

How the Trucking Industry Affects You & Why We Support It

∞ posted 1 month ago in trucking industry trucking politics logistics industries transportation industries

by Randy Clark

The trucking industry — sometimes referred to as Transportation or Logistics — is huge in North America and around the globe. It’s bigger than huge. If affects most parts of daily American life, and is a big part of TKO Graphix’s business. According to the Bureau of Transportation, trucking accounts for nearly 60% of all shipping in our country, more than tripling rail and water transportation, and three times more than what is shipped via pipeline. When the trucking industry is impacted, we are all affected.

Higher costs on fuel and equipment, along with regulations on capacity and driver’s hours, hit all of us. The cost of clothing, hardware — even the cars we drive — are impacted by trucking costs. The industry is so large that savings of only a fraction of a cent per vehicle add up to millions when multiplied by the 11,717 million tons of freight shipped annually. As well, it affects more than the cost of material goods – it affects the availability. Without the trucking industry, we would be hard pressed to have avocados and apples from the west coast available on the east coast. Without a viable, healthy, and profitable trucking industry, our entire supply system could topple, affecting food, medicine, and fuel distribution.

The TKO Brandwire Blog has always steered clear of politics and controversy. We have always believed a business blog is not the place to express political beliefs. However, we will inform you of industry related news, and we’ll occasionallly offer our own perspective on legislation affecting the trucking industry. Our customers need to be informed, and we’ll be glad to share and lend support. There is a time to stand and be counted, and for TKO Graphix, the time is now.