Driver appreciation week
September 19 through September 25 is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. We think that this is a great opportunity to stress the importance of the trucking industry to the national economy, and to promote a sense of pride and professionalism. After all,
- There are 3.5 million professional truck drivers nationwide
- There are approximately 3.7 million heavy duty trucks operated in the United States
- In addition to long haul trucking companies, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were more than 29, 400 local trucking companies in 2008
- On average, everything that is bought at the retail level in the United States has traveled 5 times by truck before it reaches the ultimate consumer
- Heavy trucks operate over 432 billion miles per year, delivering over 10.7 billion tons of freight, which is 69 percent of total U.S. freight tonnage
- The transportation industry ranks fourth among industry contributions to the United States Gross Domestic Product, behind only housing, medical and food
Remember, “if you bought it, a truck brought it” — and don’t forget, a driver drove that truck!
