America’s more than 340 million citizens rely on the 3.5 million people who have chosen professional driving as their career. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, they work to deliver the goods that keep us all going.
Before leading transportation at Pilot, I spent time behind the wheel as an over-the-road driver, giving me lasting respect for the focus, patience and pride it takes for drivers to move products across the country safely. While they deserve our daily gratitude, every September is an opportunity to spotlight the relentless efforts and unmatched dedication of these men and women during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
It is easy to overlook the distance these men and women go to keep the wheels of commerce turning. Pilot’s tanker fleet alone, made up of 1,500 trucks and 2,500 drivers, logs more than 145 million miles each year delivering fuel across North America, equivalent to roughly 300 trips to the moon and back. This is just a single snapshot compared to the more than 300 billion miles professional drivers drive annually across the U.S.
Above 72% of our daily goods are carried by truck, and drivers have kept that freight moving through some of the most turbulent times. Shifting economic conditions, changing market dynamics, unpredictable weather, evolving technologies and an increasingly complex operating environment are just some of the headwinds the trucking industry faces on a regular basis.
Through it all, professional drivers keep showing up, mile after mile, pushing through uncertainty and delivering the American way of life.
Today’s professional drivers operate in sophisticated, high-tech environments. Operating a modern rig requires navigating advanced driver assistance systems, dynamic routing and dense traffic networks. The industry has evolved to prioritize safety like never before, including the safety of our professional drivers, the products they carry and, of course, the safety of everyone they share the road with.
[Related: Holiday-traffic highway safety PSAs fit for our four-wheeled friends]
Respecting professional drivers means taking action on the issues that affect them every day, from finding a safe place to park and rest to managing the economic realities of keeping freight moving.
There are an estimated 11 trucks for every available parking space in the U.S., and drivers lose an average of 56 minutes a day searching for a spot, resulting in more than $6,800 in lost wages for drivers a year, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. At the same time, fleets and owner-operators continue to navigate fluctuating markets and cash-flow pressures that can make it hard to keep trucks on the road.
The good news is progress is being made. Earlier this year, Congress secured $200 million in dedicated federal funding to expand truck parking capacity nationwide, a direct result of persistent advocacy from the industry itself.
At Pilot, we are doing our part too, making it easier to reserve truck parking spaces and continuing to grow our network to provide more options in well-lit, safe areas, advocating for solutions that can help put downward pressure on fuel prices, and providing access to credit that helps fleets maintain healthy cash flow through changing market conditions.
For professional drivers, that means valuable time back in their day, peace of mind on the road and the confidence of having a partner that understands their challenges and is committed to helping them succeed.
As Driver Appreciation Month arrives and we look ahead to a busy holiday season full of last-minute deliveries, we encourage everyone to take some time to show appreciation for all professional drivers who go the extra mile for us every single day. Pilot will be out here working to show them they matter at every turn and fuel their journeys year-round.
To all the professional drivers out there: thank you. Thank you for your grit, thank you for your persistence and thank you for the drive to keep our economy moving.
[Related: Thank you, truckers: Deals, giveaways, more on deck for appreciation week]
