A large majority of Americans conveyed the belief that the trucking industry is vital to our country and reported that they have a “favorable impression” of the industry.

“The public perception of the trucking (industry) is at an all-time high, with our poll finding that the majority of Americans — 87% of voters — have a favorable impression of trucking, which is the highest public opinion has been since TMAF began tracking industry views in 2014,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF and vice president of government affairs and sales for MTS.

The survey was open to the public between Sept. 7 and Sept. 14. It was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies in partnership with TMAF. A total of 1,000 respondents were given access to the poll.

The last time such a poll was distributed was 2019. Let’s review some of the major findings of the poll, some placed in comparison to the responses of the 2019 poll.

A response already briefly touched on is that 87% of voters had a favorable impression of the truck driving industry; this is a 20% increase from 2019.  While there was a major change in the response to this question, 97% of voters responded that the industry plays a vital role in the U.S. economy both this year and in 2019.

When voters were asked specifically about truck drivers, 96% responded that drivers are essential parts of keeping America’s economy afloat; 85% regard truck drivers as professionals; and 78% truck drivers have higher safety standards than any other driver on the road.

“Our latest polling shows that the image of the trucking industry is stronger than ever,” Burch said.

As inquiries about what workers are essential to America during a crisis swirl after the pandemic, voters ranked trucking in the top three most critical workers, right beside healthcare and grocery workers.

“More and more Americans continue to realize the essential role that trucking plays in the nation’s economy and in all of our lives, thanks to industry-wide education efforts. TMAF will continue our mission to tell the positive story of trucking to shift public perception even higher,” Burch said.

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