Flood waters fully submerged some trucks Aug. 30 in a New Orleans industrial area.

Never will “Good Stuff. Trucks Bring It.” mean more than it did to the residents of the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which struck August 29. Ambulances and emergency response vehicles rescued displaced hospital patients. Tractor-trailers delivered food and water. Motorcoaches evacuated weary survivors. Utility trucks restored power. Tank trucks shuttled gasoline and diesel supplies.

Fortunately, the cost in human lives was far lower than initially feared. But the storm may be unparalleled in its devastation of property and disruption of commerce and livelihoods. The recovery will be years in the making, but without trucks, it would be impossible. Vehicles of all types are helping to clear debris, bring in construction materials and begin the daunting task of reconstruction. Meanwhile, Hurricane Rita, while mild by comparison, placed additional demands on an already-stressed transportation system and economy.

Nor is Katrina’s impact on trucking itself insignificant. While the effect on diesel prices was immediate, though perhaps not lasting, the 31-cent surge following Katrina alarmed the industry. Katrina’s near- and long-term effects on the economy and consumer demand are yet to be determined. But clearly the reconstruction will mean more business for trucking, especially for fleets involved in construction.

What follows is a first look at Katrina – how fleet owners responded to the unprecedented challenge, how they might fare in its aftermath and how they should prepare for the next storm of the century.
-Avery Vise

Rolling to the rescue
The waters along the Gulf Coast barely had begun to calm from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina when the trucking industry shifted into high gear – moving food, water and other supplies into the storm-racked areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Department of Transportation marshaled more than 1,639 trucks to support the delivery of more than 3,731 truckloads of goods, including more than 25 million meals ready to eat, 31 million liters of water, 56,400 tarps, more than 19 million pounds of ice and 215,000 blankets.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency also contracted hundreds of power units and trailers to bring in supplies. At Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., more than 500 trucks, representing companies such as FEMA contract carriers Landstar and U.S. Xpress, lined up to carry essentials into hard-hit areas. Across the country, carriers from one-truck owner-operators to the nation’s largest fleets hauled loads of canned goods, clothing, water and other supplies, including backpacks, teddy bears and a load of bison meat from a Montana Indian Reservation.