July and August are peak summer, so they’re also peak road trip times. Whether heading out on a national park vacation, visiting extended family two states over, or just going back-and-forth to the lake every weekend, many of us are riding the highways this time of year.
As a student often traveling on I-80/90 from Minnesota to New York, I developed a keen appreciation for how efficient, safe and courteous professional truck drivers are compared to commuters. I continue to appreciate this every time I travel to the cabin with the grandkids amongst the big rigs on the interstate.
But now I also have an appreciation for the industry that carries 75% of consumer goods and 90% of our food supply across the country every day—transportation. Several Tamarack customers provide financing to the companies and individuals who make up this critical part of our national infrastructure. I have learned that whether driving trucks or financing them, the transportation business is challenging. Macroeconomic and consumer trends swing transportation prices and fortunes much more rapidly than other industries. Perhaps it is these dynamics that bring us so many data-centric transportation finance companies because they have learned how to use data to manage uncertainty.
As we hit the heart of summer, I thought we’d celebrate the season—and the drivers who are the backbone of American commerce—with a song. We all have our favorite traveling tunes. One of mine is a classic: Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere.” As a kid, I felt a little bit special hearing someone as legendary as Cash name-drop Fargo (North Dakota) and Minnesota. I always imagined truck drivers across the country nodding along in agreement with the chorus: “I’ve been everywhere, man.”
Then, in the mid-1990s, Canadian singer Tom Cochrane gave us the ultimate road trip anthem, “Life is a Highway.” Youngsters may know the Rascal Flatts cover from the beloved movie “Cars.” But no matter which version you prefer, one lyric hits home for those in the transportation industry: “Just tell ’em we’re survivors.”
That line isn’t just a lyric. It’s a mindset that captures the spirit of the men and women who keep goods—and the country—moving forward. So, wherever you are headed this summer please show some appreciation for the operators of this critical industry and have a little fun with one of these great trucking songs as you tool along.
Scott Nelson, president and CTO, Tamarack
