Tag Archive for: American Trucking Association

Trucking in 2013: Where is it Headed?

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The U.S. trucking industry still faces uphill battles in getting fleets to where the sizes they once were,  and to get more younger drivers involved in the business.  

In 2012, truckload activity was barely up 1 percent, according to the American Trucking Association. But tonnage was up, according to latest ATA surveys. And overall, that’s good news, sasys ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello.   yearly traffic totals, Calhoun Truck Lines

“The trucking industry started 2013 with a bang, reflected in the best January tonnage report in five years,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said in a press release. “While I believe that the overall economy will be sluggish in the first quarter, trucking likely benefited in January from an inventory destocking that transpired late last year, thus boosting volumes more than normal early this year as businesses replenish those lean inventories.”  

Some trucking categories experienced declines in fourth quarter 2012. This graph below shows the yearly traffic totals continues to decline, even as 2013 moves through its first half.

According to the IANA, the industry needs nearly 100,000 new drivers per year for the next 10 years to replace lost drivers in the recession, and those who are getting out of the business. That’s an incredible amount of drivers to sustain in the economy. Also, the average truck driver is 10 years older than the average American, and many young people are not exactly flocking to trucking jobs.  

And highway congestion is a problem for many drivers and trucking companies as well. Recent statistics show that the trucking industry suffered $25 billion in lost productivity from trucks being in congested areas. And when cargo is tied up in highway congestion, then that’s valuable money lost.  

At last year’s American Trucking Association’s conference, ATA President Bill Graves said that intermodal transportation industry can be stimulated by job growth and more jobs. We are waiting on our U.S. government to put some of those steps in place. At Calhoun Truck Lines, we are hopeful that the economy will continue to grow, container volumes will rise and we will be able to move more freight from our five Midwest trucking facilities.  

Each of Calhoun Truck Lines’ operational facilities is fully equipped to handle your intermodal trucking needs. The company is dedicated to delivering a level of service that consistently meets our customers’ expectations. Our responsibility continues with providing a professional working environment for our employees and maintaining a safety conscious truck fleet to share the roads with fellow motorists.

Top Truck Drivers in the U.S. named to America’s Road Team

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One of the essential and crucial parts of a professional truck driver’s job is to drive safely. Making America’s highways safer for all who travel them is a paramount concern for many of us in the industry, and especially to the American Trucking Association.  

Because of this, the American Trucking Association (ATA) names a new team of professional truck drivers every two years to an elite team of drivers called America’s Road Team. The new group of 19 drivers was named as the 2013-2014 America’s Road Team this week by the ATA.  

A salute to the America’s Road Team Captains from Calhoun Truck Lines! We value and appreciate the way in which you all represent our industry and congratulate all of you for the success you’ve had behind the wheel.  

All of these drivers share common characteristics when it comes to safety on the road. They share millions of miles without any accidents, according to Transport Topics. Not only do they have clean driving records, but they all have strong trucking industry expertise, good communication skills, solid community service and lifetime safety records.   America’s Road team will spend the next few years carrying out the ATA’s message of driver safety in various outreach and events aimed at the motoring public.   

“America’s Road Team represents the best our industry has to offer:  pride, professionalism and dedication to making our highways safer for all who travel them,” ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said in the ATA press release. “Today as we honor our newest captains, I want to congratulate not just these fine individuals, but all those hardworking drivers who strive every day to deliver America’s most essential goods safely and efficiently.”  

Representing America’s 3-million-plus professional drivers, the team serves as an example of the professional dedication and teamwork needed to deliver America’s freight safely and on time, Graves added.  

At Calhoun Truck Lines, we are proud of all these drivers and their ability to move freight safely and swiftly across the country. Calhoun Truck Lines’ operational facilities at our five Midwest trucking facilities are fully equipped to handle your intermodal trucking needs, for whatever freight assignments you might have. We deliver a level of service that consistently meets our customers’ expectations by providing a professional working environment for our employees, and maintaining a safe truck fleet.

Calhoun Truck Lines Attends American Trucking Association’s Management Conference & Exhibition

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For the second year running, Calhoun Truck Lines will field a team to attend the American Trucking Association’s ATA Management Conference & Exhibition this October.  

Industry magazine Transport Topics highlighted a few of the key areas attendees can look forward to participating in during the Oct.7-10 event in Las Vegas. Economic growth as measured by intermodal shipping and truck traffic on the roads will be a focus for many attendees.  

ATA President Bill Graves will provide an annual State of the Industry address and how it relates to increases in intermodal shipping and transportation for companies like Calhoun Truck Lines; former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will share his thoughts on the current political forecast in a contentious political year, and Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney will host a panel of experts including ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello for its annual “All Eyes on the Economy” panel.  

The Calhoun Truck Lines team will be focused on learning more about regulations and how changes in industry regs translate into changes in daily business practices. This is an important consideration whih will help to drive the 2013 business agenda in intermodal traffic.  

And the conference is coming on the heels of 2012’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, in which our nation’s truck drivers were given the righful awareness they deserve.

From the ATA site:
– Over 80 percent of U.S.  communities depend solely on trucking for delivery  of their goods and commodities, including medical supplies at your pharmacy, the clothes in the  shopping mall and the food on your grocery store  shelves.
– Trucking industry is the safest  in its history. Truckers have a major responsibility bringing life’s essentials to American  communities from Maine to California. And while the miles traveled by  America’s 3.5 million truck drivers have steadily  increased — more than 400 billion miles in 2005 alone — the industry has never been safer.  

We couldn’t have put it better!  

Expectations are high that the industry will find ways to be more responsive to the needs of truckers working within our ranks. ATA’s President and CEO Bill Graves thanked truckers directly and publicly on the ATA home page:  

“I’d like to say thank you to the 3.1 million professional truck drivers who deliver America’s freight, safely and securely, every day. As a result of your commitment, our nation’s highways are the safest they have ever been, our grocery store shelves are stocked, our hospitals have the medicine people need and our homes are filled with life’s essentials. As a nation, we owe a great deal to you, the professional truck driver, as well as all of your families who support you while you are on the road.”

Looking forward to the ATA Management Conference and Exhibition – see you there!

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