Take time to celebrate our professional truck drivers

Sept. 14, 2012
Over the next week, we will be celebrating some of the most important contributors to the US (as well as the overall North American) economy—truck drivers. Without these hard-working people, America’s economy absolutely stops dead

Over the next week, we will be celebrating some of the most important contributors to the US (as well as the overall North American) economy—truck drivers. Without these hard-working people, America’s economy absolutely stops dead.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week runs September 16-22. The annual celebration is sponsored by the American Trucking Associations and salutes the 3.1 million truck drivers who travel the US highways every day.

According to ATA, these professional men and women log close to 398 billion miles each year and in 2011 delivered 67% of US freight tonnage—or over 9.2 billion tons of freight. Virtually every drop of fuel required to move the US economy is hauled by tank truck drivers, and they move a majority of the chemicals and other liquid and dry bulk cargoes that are needed by industry and consumers.

Eighty percent of US communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of their goods and commodities. “Our country runs on trucking, and the men and women who dedicate their working lives to this challenging job deserve our highest respect and thanks,” says Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC.

Many companies hold special events National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. As we hear about activities, we will post them on the Bulk Transporter website and in Bulk Logistics Trends , our weekly e-newsletter. E-mail driver event notices to Charles Wilson at [email protected]

About the Author

Charles Wilson

Charles E. Wilson has spent 20 years covering the tank truck, tank container, and storage terminal industries throughout North, South, and Central America. He has been editor of Bulk Transporter since 1989. Prior to that, Wilson was managing editor of Bulk Transporter and Refrigerated Transporter and associate editor of Trailer/Body Builders. Before joining the three publications in Houston TX, he wrote for various food industry trade publications in other parts of the country. Wilson has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and served three years in the U.S. Army.

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