Trucking Industry Revenues were $676.2 Billion in 2016
Release of ATA American Trucking Trends Confirms Trucking as Leading Freight Mode

The American Trucking Associations released the latest edition of ATA American Trucking Trends 2017, the annual compendium of data about the trucking industry. Among the findings in this year's Trends is that trucking industry revenues in 2016 were $676.2 billion.

The information in Trends highlights exactly what I tell elected officials, regulators and key decision-makers every day: trucking is literally the driving force behind our great economy, said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. Safe, reliable and efficient motor carriers enable businesses throughout the supply chain to maintain lean inventories, thereby saving the economy billions of dollars each year.

"Trends is the only place where you can find a comprehensive look at the trucking industry in one place, "said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. From economic performance to safety to tax data, Trends is the one publication that contains it all.

Among the findings in this year's edition:

Trucking generated $676.2 billion, or 79.8% of the nation's freight bill.

Trucks moved 10.42 billion tons of freight 70.6% of all domestic freight tonnage.

The nation's commercial trucks paid $41.3 billion in state and federal highway user fees and taxes. The average five-axle tractor trailer pays more than $5,600 in taxes annually.

There were 33.8 million trucks registered for business purposes, including 3.68 million Class 8 trucks. Those trucks burned 38.8 billion gallons of diesel fuel and 15.5 billion gallons of gasoline and traveled 450.4 billion miles.

7.4 million Americans are employed in trucking-related jobs, including 3.5 million as truck drivers. 6% of those drivers are women and 38.7% are minorities.

Trucking is an industry made up of small businesses: 91% of motor carriers operate six or fewer trucks and 97.3% operate less than 20.

Trends is the only place to find all this information about the trucking industry, and more, in one convenient reference guide, Costello said, which is why copies of Trends are found in the offices of CEOs, regulators, legislators and thousands of industry leaders.

American Trucking Trends is available for purchase at www.atabusinesssolutions.com or by calling 866-821-3468.

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Carrier of the Month
D.M. Bowman, Inc.

D.M. Bowman, Inc. is a full service transportation firm offering many different services. From regional van to short-haul bulk and flatbed service to warehousing and distribution, D. M. Bowman, Inc. is a one stop shop for transportation and logistical needs. Founded in 1959 by Chairman and Owner Don Bowman, the company enjoys being named one of the top 200 carriers in the nation.

D. M. Bowman, Inc. seeks professional drivers with a commitment to safety and to providing excellent customer service. Their commitment to their drivers is to recognize and reward those qualities. The success of D. M. Bowman, Inc. and their employees relies on delivering a quality product safely and on-time in an atmosphere of teamwork. Professional Drivers are a critical part of the teamwork required. Their fleet contains quality Volvo and Mack equipment less than 3 years old.

With D.M. Bowman, you'll always have a great truck, but you won't always be in it. We'll keep your vehicle current and your home time frequent daily for local jobs and weekly for regional and dedicated positions. From local to regional, freight lanes are all east of the Mississippi River, so home time is not a problem.

When you choose to join D. M. Bowman, you will quickly see that they offer more than a driving career. They have a variety of positions and a lifestyle that will fit your needs. Driving careers include long and short haul dry van freight, long and short haul flatbed and short haul dry bulk in one location.

Check out D. M. Bowman, Inc. and see what is available in your area.

TCA and CarriersEdge Seek North America's Best Fleets for the Tenth Time

In the modern trucking industry, it is not enough for a company to transport goods from one place to another every company does that. What distinguishes the top tier, best of the best companies from the rest of the pack are the exceptional cultures they cultivate, enticing every member of their workforces to buy into their missions.

Since 2008, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge have sought to identify and recognize these top tier carriers and exactly what makes them so successful, and are now proud to open the 2018 Best Fleets to Drive For contest and survey for nominations.

Innovation is a necessity for trucking companies to thrive in this ever-changing industry, said TCA President John Lyboldt. While keeping up with technological innovations is important for staying a step ahead of competitors, innovations in a company's relationship with its drivers are the key ingredients for building a real team.

For a company to be eligible for the contest, a for-hire fleet must have 10 or more trucks and operate in the U.S. or Canada and a professional truck driver must nominate the company online at BestFleetsToDriveFor.com. TCA membership is not required. The nomination period is open between September 5 and October 31, 2017.

Once a company accepts their driver's nomination, CarriersEdge will contact them and have them complete an electronic questionnaire and telephone interview. Senior management and a random sampling of the company's drivers will be surveyed to learn more about aspects of the company's workplace environment such as compensation, safety practices, benefits, equipment, training, etc. The answers to the survey reveal the key innovations that help to attract and retain skilled personnel in the trucking industry.

Part of what has propelled Best Fleets to Drive For to grow and thrive is that each year's findings provide new information and best practices that can be explored in the following year's program, and this year's is no different. According to Jane Jazrawy, chief executive officer of CarriersEdge, Building on last year's insights about driver/office staff communication and the importance of making drivers feel like valued team members, we're going to be asking specifically how companies keep drivers integrated with the business. Do they get voicemail or email accounts? Are they able to walk into the main office or are they separated from other employees?

We're also digging more into maintenance, particularly around new vehicle technology, to see how fleets keep drivers running and their communication process around it, says Jazrawy. Maintenance is always a top priority issue for drivers, particularly the area of reporting problems and getting them fixed.

The top 20 finalists will be identified as Best Fleets to Drive For and will be announced at the end of January. From this pool, companies will then be divided into both "small' and "large" categories, and two overall winners will be recognized March 25-28, 2018, at the TCA Annual Convention in Kissimmee, Florida.

In late-October, companies that have been nominated (or believe they will be nominated) and are considering participating are invited to learn more about the survey requirements through a free webinar outlining the questions that surveyors will ask, data requirements, and methods for collecting better information.

To view best practices from last year's survey and profiles of the overall winners, visit BestFleetsToDriveFor.com

To view the program's Facebook page, visit
www.facebook.com/BestFleetsToDriveFor

Use the hashtag #BestFleets18 to join the conversation.