THE SUPER BOWL AND TRUCKING
HISTORY OF SUPER BOWL AND TRUCKERS
If you live in the United States you know that the biggest and most anticipated sporting events in the United States, something people often overlook about the event is the amount of your game-day is delivered by trucks. It’s no secret that truck drivers and the transportation industry keep shelves full and the supply chain moving, but especially during the annual holiday events. This year the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams face off on Sunday, February 3rd for their chance to be Super Bowl LVI champs.
The Super Bowl first began in 1967 and from its beginnings quickly became one of the world’s most watched sporting events. The Super Bowl is also known for its iconic snacks and spreads of food which is fueled by alcohol sales. These sales are heightened not only through people watching in their homes but also in the stadiums themselves. The Super Bowl would not be made possible without the hard work of truckers working hard continuously in order to meet the needs of everyone in time for the big game. This expands even past the food and alcohol sales, the other needs of the game on the field and on the sidelines make a dramatic impact on the amount of goods moved. Outside of the food industry other supplies that make the Super Bowl happen are goods such as footballs, clothing materials, shoes, and more. Without truckers your favorite Super Bowl snack will not be available for the big game.
THE NUMBERS
According to the American Trucking Association (ATA) moving four of the most popular game-time snacks requires over 2,600 individual truckloads, that’s over 1 billion pounds of food moved just for the Super Bowl. The most popular snack foods for the Super Bowl as of 2019 were popcorn, chips, chicken wings and avocados. It is estimated that over 82% of people will purchase food and beverages to celebrate the Super Bowl this week. As mentioned before, the Super Bowl moves other goods besides food and drink they also move clothing and other novelties that contribute to the game. These numbers alone show the tremendous amount of work needed to move this level of goods.
CURRENT TRUCKING EVENTS AND THE SUPER BOWL
We have established that truckers have a pivotal role in making the Super Bowl a reality year after year. This year we could see the drastic effects stopping trucking will have on our supply chain infrastructure. Throughout the beginning of 2022 Canada’s Freedom Convoy has been causing supply issues with hundreds of thousands of truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine regulations. Although the protests for the Freedom Convoy began in Canada they are now popping up all over the United States. For the Super Bowl this upcoming weekend it is expected that there will be Freedom Convoy protests in Los Angeles during the super bowl. The Super Bowl this year is dependent on truckers moving constantly in order to meet the demands of the American population.
Overall, it is clear that America relies on the work of truck drivers to keep everything moving efficiently throughout the nation. Acknowledging how much hard work goes into something as simple as your favorite Super Bowl drink or snack. This year make sure to thank a truck driver for their hard work year round.