When disaster strikes, trucks lead the road to recovery

Brokerage, Dedicated, Drivers, Our People

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, U.S. Xpress teams dig in to help customers and colleagues dig out. 

What’s happening: Hurricane Ian is the latest example, and one of the most dramatic, of how U.S. Xpress prepares for and responds to disaster.

Why it matters: Through our extensive logistics and trucking network, U.S. Xpress has deep resources to commit to recovery efforts.

The bottom line: There’s no higher use of our resources than helping our customers, employees, and friends during an emergency.


When weather emergencies or other crises threaten to damage property and tangle the supply chain, U.S. Xpress teams coordinate closely to support customers and communities and come to the aid of team members who live in impacted areas.

“First and foremost during any disaster, we need to protect our people and our assets,” said Chris Morris, director of public safety and security for U.S. Xpress. “Then, as quickly as we safely can, we get our drivers moving to carry the freight that supports recovery.”

Among the steps U.S. Xpress takes to support storm and disaster recovery:

  • Assessing the impact to our employees and our equipment, and deploying resources to support both driver and mechanical needs.
  • Aligning with our customers who have emergency response materials they can distribute through our network.
  • Positioning equipment where it can aid in response and recovery.
  • Coordinating with partners and resources across our industry to maximize the impact we can have in collectively responding to needs before and after the major weather event.
  • Deploying our Xpress Cares funds to help team members who have been impacted by this storm. This long-standing U.S. Xpress program provides employee-to-employee giving for those experiencing financial hardships.

Our plans for storm response were in motion even as Hurricane Ian was forming, and U.S. Xpress logistics and trucking experts met multiple times a day to report on impacts and mobilize people and materials.

One of the deadliest and most devastating storms in the history of Florida, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Ft. Myers as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph. U.S. Xpress stayed in close contact with customers in the area while navigating the challenges of safely moving drivers and equipment into locations where they could respond once the storm cleared.

“Service interruptions and equipment issues created significant challenges we have worked around the clock to address, particularly in Florida,” Morris said. “But there’s no higher use of our resources than helping our customers, employees, and friends during an emergency.”

The recovery from Hurricane Ian will be a massive effort that will snarl supply chains and industries from agriculture to manufacturing in the region and beyond. The storm unleashed an estimated $60 billion to $100 billion in damage, and U.S. Xpress will be engaged in supporting recovery over the long term.

“Through our extensive logistics and trucking network, we have deep resources to commit to this effort,” Morris said. “We will stay close with our customers and team members to offer solutions as we all work together to recover from this destructive storm.”

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