Most of the general public does not realize how important trucks (and truck drivers) are in their lives. Sometimes when we don’t see the process our daily luxuries go through, we can take them for granted. When we go to the grocery store we might see someone stocking a shelf, but we don’t see the truck driver delivering those supplies. If trucks stopped running, the impact on our daily lives would be truly significant.
Here are some examples of what could happen if trucks stopped running.
Within the first 24 hours:
- Medical supplies would run low, and hospitals would run out of syringes and catheters as well as other basic supplies
- Fuel at service stations would begin to run out
- Mail and package delivery services would stop
- Hospitals and nursing homes would exhaust food supplies
At the end of the first day:
- Grocery stores would begin to run low on food
- Prices at gas pumps would go up as fuel availability lowered further
Within two to three days:
- Grocery stores and restaurants would no longer be able to keep up with consumer demand
- Banks and ATMs would run out of cash
- Fuel would run out completely at gas stations
- Cities and suburbs would begin to gather piles of uncollected garbage
Within one week:
- Lack of fuel would cause travel to cease, and many people would have difficulty getting to food or medical care
- Lack of fuel would also mean that police, fire, and other rescue vehicles would be unable to provide assistance
- Oxygen supplies at hospitals would run very low
Within two weeks:
- Clean water supply would begin to decrease
- Farmers would be unable to get fresh food and produce to consumers
Within four weeks:
- Clean water supply would be gone
- Major manufactures (from computer companies to automakers) would have to shut down assembly lines due to lack of components, leaving thousands out of work
Hopefully reading this information will leave you with a new appreciation for trucks and truck drivers. We are very lucky to have them supplying us not only with our regular luxuries, but all of the necessities to keep our world running!
Source: http://cdllife.com/2012/trucker-life/if-trucks-stopped/
Source:http://www.trucking.org/ATA%20Docs/What%20We%20Do/Image%20and%20Outreach
%20Programs/When%20Trucks%20Stop%20America%20Stops.pdf
Source: http://www.truckerclassifieds.com/truckpocalypse/