As we wrap up Infrastructure Week 2017, Americans For Modern Transportation (AMT) presents our final post of our “By The Numbers” series. As a broad set of industries committed to moving goods across the American economy, we continue to support policy upgrades and infrastructure investment to meet the demands of modern businesses and consumers. Together, we can move America toward a safe, efficient, and sustainable future.
America’s trucking industry is the backbone of our economy. Trucks serve as the primary means to get goods from manufacturers to warehouses, and then on to businesses and households, making them critical to driving economic growth and meeting the demands of the modern consumer. Today, over 122.5 million households and 7.5 million businesses rely on deliveries from America’s trucks, which now transport 70.1 percent of total commercial freight (DOT).
America’s reliance on trucking requires Congress to focus its attention on the industry to ensure the American economy can reach its full potential. As the economy grows and e-commerce puts more pressure on the trucking industry to deliver more goods at a quicker rate than ever before, investing in efficiency will be critical to creating a modern transportation system.
Since 2000, freight carried by America’s trucks is up 24 percent and that number is expected to grow by another 27 percent over the next decade. (ATA)
Fortunately, emerging technologies show promise to meet consumer demands faster, safer, and with fewer trucks on the road. Some of these technologies include:
- Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication platforms
- Autonomous cars
- Platooning (a form of autonomous technology that allows trucks to coordinate acceleration and braking)
- Widespread adoption of Twin 33 trailers
While these technologies may not be the first thing policymakers think of when we talk about infrastructure, smart regulations that take advantage of innovation will help the trucking industry, and in effect the American public, see the benefits of an efficient and modern transportation system.