National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

The week of September 11-17 is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. During this week, the American Trucking Association will be holding contests and events to show their appreciation for truck drivers throughout the nation.

Truck drivers are an important part of the American nation. Driving from coast to coast, truck drivers deliver everything from fuel, food, and furniture. Sometimes it can seem that people take for granted the fact that they can simply go to the store and purchase the things they need. They don’t think about how it got there. Without truck drivers the economy would quickly collapse because people would not be able to buy the things they need and companies would not be able to make money.

"Professional truck drivers deliver our nation's essential freight safely every day," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "As a result of this commitment, our nation's highways are the safest they have ever been, and our grocery shelves are stocked. We as a nation owe a great deal to the truck drivers out on our nation's roads every day."

A truck driver’s sacrifice is one that should not be overlooked. Out for weeks at a time, truck drivers are away from their families for a hard life on the road. They deal daily with dangerous situations as other drivers on the road drive hazardously around them. As a show of appreciation for truck drivers, residential drivers need to remember to drive safely and share the road.

While National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a way for non-drivers to recognize truckers, it is also a way for truck drivers to show appreciation for their fellow drivers. When beginning a truck driving job, rookies rely on experienced drivers to be an example and teach them the tricks of the trade. Many truck drivers on the road today are who they are because another driver has shown them the way.

For all those truck drivers who are ready and willing to help out, this week is for you. A truck driving job is one of a kind. It is a job that will always need to be done, and it is a job not everyone can do. To all the truck drivers out there who are getting the job done, we say thank you.