Abundance of Trucks on the Road?

You aren’t seeing things. There are definitely more trucks on the road and that trend will continue. Most of what we buy and consume moves by truck and, with online shopping becoming the norm, there are more trucks needed to deliver goods. Here in Dodge City and Western Kansas, we have our world-class agricultural products that are loaded on trucks so the trucks are aplenty.

Several observations that fit in the “just my opinion” category and why I see increased truck traffic as a concern.

• Our infrastructure has not kept up with the truck traffic and the truck traffic tears up roads.
• Delivery now means to your neighborhood, so it’s not unusual to see trucks in and out of suburban streets.
• There is a lot of turnover of truck drivers, so many have little or no experience.
• Truck drivers are mostly paid by the mile or load, so they are in a hurry to get there and get home.

Here’s the bottom line. Watch for trucks. Most drivers are well-trained and careful and most accidents involving a truck are the fault of the other driver but it just takes one bad driver and one bad decision to leave a family dealing with a death or serious injury. My advice: Watch for trucks and give them a wide-berth.