A recent survey of professional truck drivers found 60 percent of respondents indicated that road conditions in the United States have gotten worse since they began driving.
A new report from third party logistics provider National Retail Systems, Inc. (NRS) says that 60 percent of truck driver survey respondents indicated that road conditions have gotten worse since they began driving.
Transportation infrastructure has become a topic of national debate in recent years, with substandard roads and bridges receiving less funding from an ailing Federal Highway Trust fund. A 2014 economic analysis of transportation infrastructure investment from The Council of Economic Advisers estimated American businesses pay an extra $27 billion a year in freight transportation costs due to inadequate infrastructure investments.
The report said 65 percent of major roads in the United States are rated in less than good condition, while one in four bridges are structurally unsound or require significant repair and 45 percent of Americans lack basic access to transit. Over the past 20 years, total federal, state, and local investment in transportation has fallen as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), and the U.S. globally has fallen from 7th to 18th overall in the quality of our roads compared to global competitors, according to the most recent World Economic Forum rankings.
NRS wanted to get an up close perspective on these issues, so the company surveyed those it thought would give the best and most accurate reports on current road conditions: truck drivers. “The condition of U.S. roads comes up frequently in conversation, particularly in the spring when road conditions are at their worst. Who better than truck drivers to accurately assess the condition of our road network?” Chris Saville, marketing director for NRS, said in a statement.
The 3PL said in its report that poor road conditions have also contributed to the truck driver shortage that it claims is “likely to worsen in the coming years.” The American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimates the U.S. is short 30,000 truck drivers, but that number is expected to surge to 239,000 by 2022.
In the survey, 50 percent of truck driver respondents rated the condition of U.S. highways as either poor or unsatisfactory, while only 2 percent said they were in excellent condition. Local and city roads fared even worse, with a total of 59 percent of drivers rating them as either poor or unsatisfactory and only 7 percent rating them as good or excellent.
The truck drivers weren’t as harsh in rating bridges and tunnels in the U.S., however, as 65 percent of respondents rated their condition as either ok, good or excellent. Only 1 percent of drivers said they are never delayed by road repairs and 83 percent of respondents said they are delayed anywhere from a few times a month to every single day.
Poor road conditions and resulting delays from repairs costs truckers time and money in additional vehicle operating costs such as fuel consumption, tire wear and deterioration, according to the survey.
“A solid transportation system is needed to move goods efficiently to support the nation’s economic vitality and growth,” NRS said of the report. “Deteriorating roads and bridges cause major road blocks for truck drivers which ultimately affects the consumers.
“While states and local governments send out patrols to periodically check its roadways, and television stations ask reporters to drive their streets to look for dilapidated roads, truck drivers own the day-to-day pulse of the nation’s highways. Perhaps they can give the best and most accurate reports on road conditions,” added NRS.
Report: Truckers say U.S. road conditions deteriorating
