Appreciating the Nation’s Truck Drivers

Truck drivers are ubiquitous in our lives.  People see them every day on highways and roads around the world, and yet hardly anyone gives them a single thought on a typical day.  However, that really should change.  Consider the sheer volume of goods that have to be transported across the country each day and how often they have to be transported.  Truck drivers, therefore, are an integral part of the economy.  What are these dedicated workers contributing to our lives?

  • In a single year, professional truckers deliver more than two-thirds of the country’s freight, and they cover distances of over 400 billion miles total.
  • Truck drivers across the country have an astonishing safety record given the distances traveled. In the last 20 years, the number of trucks on the road has increased; however, there has been a significant decrease in the number of truck-related accidents.
  • Many drivers have to transport time-sensitive products that have to be delivered within an allotted period of time in order to remain marketable or viable. Some truck drivers even deliver sensitive equipment that helps drive government, industry, and public works projects.
  • Truck drivers have to work very demanding hours since the delivery of goods never stops. Their constant hard work and dedication is what keeps the economy functioning continuously.
  • There are 3.4 million professional truck drivers in the United States alone. That is a staggering number of individuals working to transport the products that you purchase every day.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week occurs in the middle of September each year, but given the incredible impact that these hard-working individuals have on the economy, we should be appreciative of truck drivers year round.  They are moving our world one truck at a time, and they will continue to do so for many years to come.

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