Truck drivers rank highway conditions

Dec. 16, 2005
For the second consecutive year and the fifth time in a decade, truckers say Pennsylvania has the worst roads in the country, according to the annual Highway Report Card survey conducted by Overdrive magazine.

For the second consecutive year and the fifth time in a decade, truckers say Pennsylvania has the worst roads in the country, according to the annual Highway Report Card survey conducted by Overdrive magazine.

Among the chief complaints: the conditions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-78 and I-80, and poor signage.

For the second year in a row, the Lone Star State shines with the best roads.

The survey also the covers automobile driver performance. Roughly two-thirds of respondents say road rage increased during the past year, with 36 percent calling the jump significant. The worst automobile drivers are in California, followed by Illinois and New York.

When it comes to safety, survey participants reasserted findings from years past--California has the nation's toughest truck inspections, while Alabama has the most lax.

California is well-known for its laws regarding trucking, including tough anti-idling penalties.

More than 37 percent of respondents placed California tops on inspections; Ohio came in second with eight percent of participants calling it the toughest state.

Alabama, on the other hand, has experienced a shortage of state troopers for several years.

More than 300 Overdrive readers responded to the Highway Report Card survey in fall 2005. About 27 percent of respondents deliver in all 48 states, and 57 percent report 21 years or more in the industry.

The complete report appears in Overdrive's December issue.

The report card listed states with worst roads as Pennsylvania, Missouri, Louisiana, Michigan, and California.

Best roads were in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Nevada, and Virginia.

Worst highways were I-10 in Louisiana, I-44 in Missouri, I-95 in New York.

Best highways were I-75 in Florida, I-40 in Tennessee, and I-10 in Texas.

Most improved highways were I-40 in Arkansas, I-80 in Pennsylvania, and I-30 in Arkansas.

Worst automobile drivers were found in California, Illinois, and New York.