In just over a decade following the 1956 Federal Aid Highway Act, the brand-new interstate highways laced up the nation coast to coast and border to border. The result was a boom for commercial trucking, which became -- and remains -- the number one way to connect large cities with small ones and the goods with the people. To accomplish this, Class 8 (tractor-trailer) truck drivers alone travel more than 175 billion miles a year, with many of them averaging 100,000 miles or more of driving each year. With all of those miles, truck manufacturers, fleet operators, and drivers have a great responsibility to keep the roads we share safe for all drivers and the communities that surround them. That's why the industry is constantly innovating with safety technology, such as stopping systems, stability control, collision mitigation, lane departure warnings, and other driver-assist functions. Those of us in the transportation industry understand that innovation is more than a business plan; it's a way to save lives and improve efficiency. (Author/publisher)
Abstract