subject: National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Comes to End [print this page] It was a little less than a week ago that the official National Truck Driver Appreciation Week came to a close. I mention this mainly because of the fact that truckers, as a whole, are simultaneously one of the most vital and one of the least appreciated components to our economy. At least 2/3rds of the freight that travels through our nation is moved by trucks, and the 3.4 million truckers that are responsible for getting those goods to their destination have managed to contribute to a 20% drop in all truck-related fatalities since the first records were compiled in 1975.
Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer, pointed out that "virtually every consumer good that we enjoy from food to clothing, to much-needed medicine is delivered by a professional truck driver."
It's true - approximately 80% of towns in the US have no recourse but truck drivers to receive goods that are vital to their continued existence. Another unfortunate truth, however, is that the memories that are most remembered when highway safety is mentioned are those where the exhaustive safety measures practiced by drivers and mechanics throughout our nation fail.
It's truly a small minority of people that truly realize the staggering amount of preventative maintenance that companies and owner-operators alike perform to keep their fellow travelers safe. Instead of waiting until a kingpin removal is necessary, they refurbish existing ones to reduce the chance that a snapped trailer kingpin could cause accidents.
Admittedly, some are motivated by the fact that kingpin replacement is more expensive than refurbishment, but one must keep in mind that financial security is just as important to them as anyone else. Truck drivers are human, after all, and a little appreciation goes a long way.
So let's continue to appreciate and support our dedicated transport professionals, despite the fact that their "official" acknowledgement has run its course.
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Comes to End
