Source: Bendix
ELYRIA, Ohio –If professional truck drivers in the United States decided to form their own city, it would be the country’s third largest, with a population of more than 3.5 million. With National Truck Driver Appreciation Week approaching, everyone at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC salutes the invaluable, dedicated drivers delivering professionalism and safety along with the materials and goods that keep America moving.
Sponsored by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 2019 takes place Sept. 8-14. Last year, according to ATA, trucks moved nearly 11.5-billion tons of freight – more than 71 percent of the nation’s tonnage freight, and an increase of 800 million tons from 2017.
“Every hour of every day, we all depend on the things that America’s professional truck drivers bring into our lives,” said Barbara Gould, director – corporate communications at Bendix. “Their skill and commitment are unmatched in being necessary to highway safety, and their around-the-clock dedication keeps the country and its economy moving forward in countless ways.
“All of us at Bendix offer sincere gratitude and a pledge to keep working in pursuit of the technologies, training, and solutions that will help keep them safe and their vehicles operating in good condition – so that they can return to their loved ones at the end of their travels.”
The Right Equipment and Driver Input
Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of active safety, air management, and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles, supports truck drivers and safe vehicle operation through several efforts. These include development of advanced commercial vehicle safety technologies, driver and technician training and education, and backing of industry programs that celebrate and recognize professional drivers.
Bendix continuously strives to engineer solutions that help drivers do their jobs more safely, from wheel-end components such as air disc brakes to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) – including collision mitigation, blind spot monitoring, and automatic parking brake technology that provides rollaway prevention, as well as improved in-cab ergonomics. There is no substitute for skilled, safe drivers supported by ongoing, proactive training: Bendix safety technologies complement safe driving practices, and responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times.
“Two-way communication and hands-on experience are incredibly important to the industry’s pursuit of safer trucks for drivers and safer roads for everyone,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix manager of marketing demonstrations and customer interactions, and Class A CDL holder. “That’s why throughout the year, Bendix holds ‘Proving Ground’ demonstrations across North America, where we invite drivers and fleet operators to not just see and feel today’s safety systems in action, but to provide feedback and expertise as we refine the technologies. It’s very much a collective effort to shape tomorrow’s transportation – together.”
