Documentary released on YouTube for free limited run; film exposes failing highway and freight transportation systems, crumbling roads and bridges, America’s day-to-day dependence on trucking industry
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As millions of Americans contend with empty supermarket shelves and an increased reliance on home deliveries, weaknesses in the U.S. infrastructure continue to plague the trucking industry and have a detrimental impact on manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers and the entire country’s supply chain. “Be Prepared to Stop” is a documentary about every American’s dependence on the overcrowded and decaying U.S. Interstate Highway system and its impact on everyone’s lives and the economy. The film has been released on YouTube for a free limited run.
“The situation we are all facing now is shining a spotlight on the incredible fragility of the U.S. supply line. We are hanging by a thread and depending on a highway system that was built 60 years ago and has not been consistently maintained or upgraded.”
The 63-minute documentary, which includes interviews with congresspersons, transportation experts, trucking operators, industry leaders and others, is narrated by Yvette Nicole Brown and can be viewed for free on YouTube at https://bit.ly/BPTSdoc
“The COVID-19 pandemic is just another example of how dependent we are on the trucking industry,” said Jennifer Clymer, executive producer and co-director of the film. “The situation we are all facing now is shining a spotlight on the incredible fragility of the U.S. supply line. We are hanging by a thread and depending on a highway system that was built 60 years ago and has not been consistently maintained or upgraded.”
“Be Prepared to Stop” is a documentary about the dependence of the economy and entire supply chain on highways, bridges and other parts of the U.S. infrastructure. The trucking industry is a round-the-clock lifeline that has become so engrained in the country’s daily routines that it goes almost unnoticed by most consumers with very few people even realizing everything they use or consume each day was at one point on a truck. “Be Prepared to Stop” raises awareness about the impact of the infrastructure breakdown, the inability of government to react and how this issue obstructs the U.S. economy and adversely affects the daily lives of all Americans. Facts from the documentary include:
- 32% of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 25% of bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. $146 billion in capital investment would be needed on an annual basis over the next 20 years to significantly improve conditions.
- 42% of America’s major urban highways are congested, costing the economy an estimated $101 billion in wasted time and fuel annually.
- The trucking industry hauls 10.49 billion tons of freight every year or 70.1% of total U.S. freight tonnage. Rail is next, moving 13.8% of the nation’s freight tonnage.
- All goods carried by ship, airplane or train reach their final destination by truck. More than 80% of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities.
- One out of every 14 jobs in the United States is created or directly affected by the trucking industry.
- 54 million tons of freight move across the nation every day. By 2040 that will increase more than 40%.
“Be Prepared to Stop” was produced by Los Angeles-based Delaware Park Productions, Inc. More information is available at BePreparedToStop.org and on social media @bptsdoc (Twitter/Instagram) and /bepreparedtostop (Facebook).
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