Truckers rank TN roads third best for 11th consecutive year

At 455 miles in length, Tennessee is home to the longest stretch of Interstate 40 in nation and, for the fourth straight year, the nation’s truckers have rated it the best stretch of roadway in America. In addition, truck drivers rated Tennessee’s overall roadway system third best in the country for the eleventh year in a row according to a recent survey of truck owners and operators by Overdrive Magazine.

“Tennessee’s roadways are a major economic asset in our work to attract opportunities for growth and development in our communities,” said Governor Phil Bredesen.  “I’m pleased to see this consistently high ranking of the state’s transportation system from some of the people who use it the most – our nation’s truckers.”

Overdrive Magazine polls more than 300 truck drivers across the nation each year asking them to rate the nation’s roads and drivers, state by state.  The survey includes opinions about the quality of the roads, the smoothness of the riding surface, road markings, construction detour availability and more.   Overdrive Magazine began surveying truck drivers across the nation 13 years ago.

Trucker Stan Bloom from Grimes, Iowa told the magazine he’s driven I-40 in Tennessee more than 40 times, “It’s a pleasant drive through there. The road surface is good and they use a lot of blacktop. They keep it up well.”

Tennessee’s roads are consistently ranked as some of the best by the nation’s truckers and by the Asphalt Pavement Alliance, who have awarded seven Perpetual Pavement Awards to TDOT, the most awarded to any other state except Minnesota.

“For more than a decade the nation’s truckers have ranked Tennessee roadways among the best in the country,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely.  “This speaks volumes about the commitment to quality from TDOT employees and contractors. The strong support from the Governor, the Tennessee General Assembly, our local government partners and the citizens of our state also contributes to our quality roadway system.”

“This is another great honor for TDOT and for the contractors who help build and maintain our roadways,” added TDOT Chief Engineer Paul Degges.  “But we cannot rest on our past work. We must continue to look for more ways to improve not just our roadways but our entire transportation system.”

The best and worst roads as mentioned by Overdrive Magazine are:

BEST ROADS

1. Florida

2. Texas

3. Tennessee

WORST ROADS

1. Pennsylvania

2. Michigan

3. New York and California (tie)

The best and worst roads as mentioned by Overdrive Magazine are:

BEST HIGHWAY SEGMENT

1. I-40 Tennessee

2. I-75 Florida

3. I-10 Florida

WORST HIGHWAY SEGMENT

1. I-10 Louisiana

2. I-95 New York

3. I-40 Arkansas

Overdrive Magazine is a monthly magazine distributed to trucking industry representatives around the country.  More information about the annual survey can be found at http://www.overdriveonline.com/the-good-the-bad-the-better/.