Trucking has never looked more beautiful, and Arizona is Proof!

People from all over the U.S. take note of the natural beauty Arizona has to offer. There’s a reason drivers don’t mind trucking across the desert.

Nicknamed, The Grand Canyon State, Arizona has 113,595 square miles of land area and 15 counties.4 Arizona Highways, a regional magazine, highlights the state’s award-winning scenery6, much of which can be viewed from the highways.

But Arizona isn’t just for basking in beauty. There’s work to be done – Trucking!

The Arizona Trucking Association (ATA), informs that from the early 20th century, trucks were the primary mode for hauling copper from Arizona mines to manufacturing plants, raw cotton to gins, cattle to markets, and citrus to distribution centers.

Advocacy and Community

ATA promotes, advocates for, and defends the trucking industry.

Initially incorporated as the Arizona Motor Transport Association (AMTA), AMTA changed its name in 2004, to Arizona Trucking Association (ATA). It’s membership more than doubled from 2002-2008, leading to expanded programs and services.

Today, ATA focuses on issues like:

• Hours-of-Service Changes
• Driver Distraction Laws
• Truck Size and Weight Laws
• And much more…

Employment and Wages

Of the 3.6 million professional drivers in the U.S.5, studies project nationwide growth for trucking jobs at 6% through 2026. Simultaneously, Arizona trucking jobs are expected to increase 13%, creating over 3,200 new CDL jobs annually.

The BLS reports a national wage estimate of $22.52 per hour and $46,850 annually, for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers.

According to a 2019 report, Arizona’s CDL driver average pay was just under $31,000, with drivers in the top 10% earning $66,260.

Freight Economics

The transportation and logistics (T&L) sector of AZDOT is broadly divided into two key functions: moving freight and supporting the movement of freight. Carriers fulfill the first function while logistics and transportation support services fulfill the second.

In 2012:

• 57% of flows for T&L were intrastate
• About 37% were inbound from other states, with
• 90% from California.

Arizona’s current industry operates in every aspect of economic life, from delivering textbooks to the building blocks of highways.

Safety Matters

ATA’s Safety and Maintenance Council (SMC) promotes safety and proper maintenance for both the transportation industry and the public.1 It extends its commitment to safety directors, driver trainers, operations managers, and company owners.

ATA offers member assistance on:

• compliance issues
• safety and training
• new and pending rulemaking, and
• participation in the SMC