October 7, 2020
Atlas® Van Lines Releases Survey Results - A Look at Life on the Road for its Professional Van Operators
EVANSVILLE, IND. (October, 7 2020) — As America grapples with the coronavirus and the changes it has made to their daily lives, the nation's truck drivers are among those essential workers who are risking their lives to supply the country with goods. The majority of Atlas Van Lines Professional Van Operators (PVOs) spend more than 40 weeks on the road every year, so safety on the road is always top of mind.
“Atlas Van Lines PVOs are doing the essential work of moving families during the pandemic. Their effort to continue their job while keeping themselves and others safe is greatly appreciated and of the utmost importance,” said Jack Griffin, Chairman and CEO of Atlas World Group. “Not only are our drivers mindful of safety procedures, but they are also very informed about life on the road. Our King of the Road survey provides these valued individuals the chance to share their expertise and opinions to ensure our company and industry have an accurate assessment of what life on the road is like today.”
To learn more about our experienced PVOs and their lives on the road, we conduct our King of the Road Survey. The survey provides insights from the van operators of one of the nation’s leading moving companies detailing preferences, healthy habits, technology use, and more while working on the road. This year, 363 responses from Atlas van operators across North America were received, representing 42 states in the U.S. and seven Canadian provinces.
Highlights of this year’s King of the Road survey include:
PVOs are health-conscious and eco-friendly. Seventy-six percent of PVOs surveyed said they exercise while on the road by moving furniture, while 30% walk, run or do other forms of exercise while at truck stops. Also, PVOs are making healthy eating choices while on the road. Eighty percent of PVOs choose to drink water throughout the day over sugary drinks such as teas, sports drinks, juices and sodas. Fresh fruit was the top choice for a favorite snack while on the road (49%), followed by peanuts/mixed nuts (44%) which jumped from an occasional write-in answer in prior years to an increasingly popular favorite response. Chick-fil-A dethroned Subway in 2018 and is the clear favorite fast food restaurant again among Atlas PVOs in 2020 (47%), where they can make healthy choices such as grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps and market salads.
With environmental care continuing to be an increasingly important responsibility, PVOs and Atlas agents are doing their part to be environmentally friendly wherever they are working. Fifty-three percent of PVOs are limiting unnecessary idling at a standstill, while another 39% are using Prepass/EZ Pass/Best Pass to reduce emissions. See how Atlas agents are taking action for a sustainable future at atlasvanlines.com/move-green.
PVOs are connected through technology. Ninety-four percent of PVOs surveyed use smartphones to keep in contact with family, check email and utilize social media. Apple iOS holds the top spot for a 2nd year by just 7%. Apple and Android are nearly tied in usage and Verizon Wireless remains the preferred wireless network for the fifth consecutive year. PVOs continue to take advantage of the latest technology, with 60% using both GPS and tablets for navigation, such as Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy tablet.
In addition to using the latest and greatest tools, PVOs are also employing technology to stay more connected to work, family and friends while on the road. A new question this year asked about the favorite social media platforms of PVOs and Facebook is the clear winner (71%) followed by YouTube (39%) and Instagram (25%). The majority of PVOs are accessing email daily (94%) and the internet (93%) daily, similar to 2016 and 2018 but significantly above prior years). With many PVOs spending 40 weeks or more on the road, today’s technological advances are helping them stay connected—no matter their geographic location.
Favorite brands and other highway essentials include:
Best coffee: Starbucks
Favorite fast food restaurant: Chick-fil-A
Favorite hotel chain: Comfort Inn
Best truck stop chains: Flying J & Pilot (tied)
Favorite on-the-road snack: Fresh fruit
Favorite on-the-road music genre: Talk/news/sports radio
Best tires: Michelin
Most-used motor oil: Shell Rotella
Best tractor: Kenworth
Favorite grocery store/supermarket: Walmart
Most common-used smartphone: Apple
Most common-used cell service/network provider: Verizon
For complete survey results, visit The 2020 King of the Road Survey. To view the infographic, visit the Essentials for the Essential visual.
About Atlas® Van Lines
Atlas® Van Lines, a national moving company, is the largest subsidiary of Atlas® World Group, an Evansville, Ind.-based company. Atlas World Group companies employ nearly 700 people throughout North America. Over 430 Atlas interstate moving agents in the United States and Canada specialize in corporate relocation, household moving services and in the specialized transportation of high-value items such as electronics, fine art, store fixtures and furniture. For more information, visit atlasvanlines.com.
“Atlas Van Lines PVOs are doing the essential work of moving families during the pandemic. Their effort to continue their job while keeping themselves and others safe is greatly appreciated and of the utmost importance,” said Jack Griffin, Chairman and CEO of Atlas World Group. “Not only are our drivers mindful of safety procedures, but they are also very informed about life on the road. Our King of the Road survey provides these valued individuals the chance to share their expertise and opinions to ensure our company and industry have an accurate assessment of what life on the road is like today.”
To learn more about our experienced PVOs and their lives on the road, we conduct our King of the Road Survey. The survey provides insights from the van operators of one of the nation’s leading moving companies detailing preferences, healthy habits, technology use, and more while working on the road. This year, 363 responses from Atlas van operators across North America were received, representing 42 states in the U.S. and seven Canadian provinces.
Highlights of this year’s King of the Road survey include:
PVOs are health-conscious and eco-friendly. Seventy-six percent of PVOs surveyed said they exercise while on the road by moving furniture, while 30% walk, run or do other forms of exercise while at truck stops. Also, PVOs are making healthy eating choices while on the road. Eighty percent of PVOs choose to drink water throughout the day over sugary drinks such as teas, sports drinks, juices and sodas. Fresh fruit was the top choice for a favorite snack while on the road (49%), followed by peanuts/mixed nuts (44%) which jumped from an occasional write-in answer in prior years to an increasingly popular favorite response. Chick-fil-A dethroned Subway in 2018 and is the clear favorite fast food restaurant again among Atlas PVOs in 2020 (47%), where they can make healthy choices such as grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps and market salads.
With environmental care continuing to be an increasingly important responsibility, PVOs and Atlas agents are doing their part to be environmentally friendly wherever they are working. Fifty-three percent of PVOs are limiting unnecessary idling at a standstill, while another 39% are using Prepass/EZ Pass/Best Pass to reduce emissions. See how Atlas agents are taking action for a sustainable future at atlasvanlines.com/move-green.
PVOs are connected through technology. Ninety-four percent of PVOs surveyed use smartphones to keep in contact with family, check email and utilize social media. Apple iOS holds the top spot for a 2nd year by just 7%. Apple and Android are nearly tied in usage and Verizon Wireless remains the preferred wireless network for the fifth consecutive year. PVOs continue to take advantage of the latest technology, with 60% using both GPS and tablets for navigation, such as Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy tablet.
In addition to using the latest and greatest tools, PVOs are also employing technology to stay more connected to work, family and friends while on the road. A new question this year asked about the favorite social media platforms of PVOs and Facebook is the clear winner (71%) followed by YouTube (39%) and Instagram (25%). The majority of PVOs are accessing email daily (94%) and the internet (93%) daily, similar to 2016 and 2018 but significantly above prior years). With many PVOs spending 40 weeks or more on the road, today’s technological advances are helping them stay connected—no matter their geographic location.
Favorite brands and other highway essentials include:
Best coffee: Starbucks
Favorite fast food restaurant: Chick-fil-A
Favorite hotel chain: Comfort Inn
Best truck stop chains: Flying J & Pilot (tied)
Favorite on-the-road snack: Fresh fruit
Favorite on-the-road music genre: Talk/news/sports radio
Best tires: Michelin
Most-used motor oil: Shell Rotella
Best tractor: Kenworth
Favorite grocery store/supermarket: Walmart
Most common-used smartphone: Apple
Most common-used cell service/network provider: Verizon
For complete survey results, visit The 2020 King of the Road Survey. To view the infographic, visit the Essentials for the Essential visual.
About Atlas® Van Lines
Atlas® Van Lines, a national moving company, is the largest subsidiary of Atlas® World Group, an Evansville, Ind.-based company. Atlas World Group companies employ nearly 700 people throughout North America. Over 430 Atlas interstate moving agents in the United States and Canada specialize in corporate relocation, household moving services and in the specialized transportation of high-value items such as electronics, fine art, store fixtures and furniture. For more information, visit atlasvanlines.com.
