Trucking Industry Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

ATA Recognizes 3.5 Million Professional Truck Drivers

American Trucking Associations kicked off the weeklong celebration of the trucking industry’s 3.5 million professional truck drivers yesterday, September 10, 2017.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 10-16, provides the trucking industry an opportunity to highlight the efforts of professional truck drivers.

“This week was created to commemorate and support the industry professionals who work daily to deliver America’s goods,” says ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Truck drivers are hardworking men and women who practice safety on the roads and serve as the faces of our industry. These drivers improve our collective quality of life by making personal commitments to safety and delivering our critical goods like medicine, food, building supplies, and clothing.”


Delivering America’s Goods

More than 80 percent of U.S. communities rely exclusively on truck drivers to deliver their goods and commodities, including the most remote towns and territories that are unreachable by other modes of transportation. 

Recently, thousands of professional truck drivers have assisted and continue to assist the relief efforts for places impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, serving as critical responders to the disaster.

More than 1.6 million trucking industry employees live and work within the direct paths of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. In the midst of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week events, ATA will monitor the storms and work in cooperation with the American Logistics Aid Network and FEMA to carry out relief efforts.

State trucking associations, industry suppliers, and motor carriers of all sizes are set to host appreciation events for the men and women who safely deliver more than 70 percent of all freight tonnage in the United States. 

“Truck drivers work day in and day out to make our jobs possible, our shopping more convenient, and our roads a lot safer,” says ATA First Vice Chairman Dave Manning, president of TCW Inc. “Truck drivers are entrusted with large vehicles, yet we know we can rely on them to be fully aware of their surroundings on the road and make good decisions. They make safety their responsibility and truly deliver everything that makes our economy function.”

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