Infrastructure: the basic systems and services, such as transportation and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively – Cambridge Dictionary
Lovely weather for a road trip! “OMG,” as my kids would say, or “Oh My God,” as I hear Beth say to the bone-jarring ride through Kentucky on I-24 through the winding pot hole and uneven road with chuck holes as big as bathtubs. Both truck and RV get air, a lot, or at least we do in our seats. Miserable, but it sends a clear message: FIX INFRASTRUCTURE! I’m not talking about dumping mix in a pothole or grinding concrete bridge ramps to even-out the approach at angles Tony Hawk would love. Take a page from South Dakota, rip ‘er up and build it back new.
Seriously, I have been pulling trailers coast to coast since the 1970s, and currently I pull a 42’ 5th wheel, 18,000# with a 9,000# truck, a 6’x12’ cargo, or an 8’x28’ cargo. After wearing out a handful of F-350s and a couple of GMC 3500s towing, I have more experience than most, other than a pro. Along with that comes experience on what the interstate system has been like over the years. Sometimes good, sometimes not, but not this bad. It’s been 65 years since Eisenhower commissioned the Interstate System, and it’s time to retire and replace much of our interstate roads, not just give them another face lift.
Sure, on a trip like this, you expect a tire to blow or something to get knocked loose occasionally, but we’ve lost an awning to the impacts and have nearly given up even trying to keep everything off the floor. If the halls of Congress were as bad as I-24, this would have been fixed fast, no bickering on the definition of Infrastructure if a Senator tripped on a worn-out rug.
After pulling trailers for the past 40+ years, this is the worst I have seen our interstate system. Not very inspiring is the majority of road construction I see is patching, not rebuilding. Our country runs on the Interstate system. Trucks especially must navigate this mess and getting goods to market is more important than my adventure. As more trucks beat bad roads into worse roads, their time is lost slowing down to be safe on unsafe highways. Trucks and trailers are getting beat to the ground and the costs to repair trucks and trailers and replace tires must be exponential. How can trucking companies continue to deliver the goods at a reasonable price if equipment doesn’t last and time is lost? As I am sure many professional drivers who make their living “On the Road” feel, let’s pray that our government includes some of the Infrastructure that is the Backbone of America.