Message Monday - If you bought it, trucks brought it. Give them space
With nearly 20,000 trucking companies operating on Iowa’s 114,383 miles of roadways, it’s a pretty good bet you’ll encounter a large truck just about any time you’re on the road. Next time you come upon a semi, take a minute to think about the professional driver behind the wheel. Remember that their visibility is quite different than that of a four or two-wheeled vehicle. Make sure to give them the room they need to adequately see you and safely maneuver down the road.
According to the American Trucking Association, there are 3.5 million professional drivers who travel more than 273 billion miles every year. That’s more than double the miles driven just 25 years ago. Small businesses make up the bulk of America’s trucking companies, with 586,014 for-hire carriers and 747,781 private carriers in the United States. Of those, 97.3 percent have fewer than 20 trucks and 90.8 are operating six trucks or less. If you are lucky enough to know a professional truck driver, take a moment and thank them for the job they do. After all, a larger portion of the goods and services we all enjoy in our daily life are moved at some point by truck.
Now for a blast from the past for all you C.W. McCall fans out there - https://youtu.be/j3VN54M1OXA
For 2018, there have been 222 fatalities reported. That’s an increase of nine since last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality report at https://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf