We owe a lot to American truck drivers. Think for a moment of how much we owe them, all 3.1 million men and women with work driving trucks. These men and women drive more than 400 billion miles a year. To give you an idea of how many miles there are, equal to more than 2,151 round trip from earth to the sun! The distance is all driven on our interstate, four-lane highway, two-lane rural roads, and along the streets of our city to bring us everything we need. In fact, 80% of the goods in this country are moved only by truck. That adds up to 9.4 billion tons of goods per year which is extraordinary. If you can use it, watch it, listen to it, eat it or even drive it, maybe it's traveling by truck. All of these dedicated and professional movers deserve our thanks and appreciation.
To let the state truck drivers know what is important they have in keeping our country's economy running, in 1998 the American Truck Drivers Association initiated the National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Every year, one week in mid-September is set aside to honor these drivers and their families for their hard work and sacrifice. For 2013, the National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is September 15 to September 21. To celebrate that week, trucking, shippers and truck-related industries across the country showed their appreciation in various ways. Some might give recognition with miles and safety awards, cash bonuses or gifts, extra paid holidays, a cup of coffee or windshield cleaners at a truck stop, goodie bags with fruit and fresh water, free health checks and many other ways to show the driver their truck is appreciated. This is all part of telling these street warriors that we are glad they are out there working for us every day.
Aside from keeping our country shipments moving, there are other reasons to thank truck drivers for what they did. This can be a dangerous job. Driving a truck is consistently ranked as one of the ten dump truck hino most dangerous jobs, even though they are the safest drivers on the road. Every day they have to deal with mistakes made by other drivers, traffic on busy highways, fatigue, and often less than ideal driving conditions. Through wind, rain, fog, blizzards and ice roads, these professionals use their skills to keep going while keeping themselves and other drivers safe.
The road can also be a lonely place. Some truck drivers on the road may leave home for weeks or more at a time. That means we often miss family events that most of us take for granted. Although sleeping in a modern truck is far from the flat flat mattress in the room behind the driver's seat decades ago, it was never like spending the night at home with friends and family enjoying children's sporting events or hot home-cooked meals. This can be a difficult lifestyle.
How can we show our appreciation to the country's truck drivers? The best way is to show them a little extra courtesy on the highway. When you are on the road and you find 18 wheels, think about how your driving affects the way they do their work. You don't want someone to come to your workplace and be rude to you. Give them plenty of space on the road. Weighing 80,000 pounds, they can't stop as fast or maneuver as fast and as easily as you. When a truck passes you, turn on your lights when far enough in front of you to pull back into the lane. Patient. They might finish a long day or a very difficult road trip. If you are at a truck stop, offer to buy a cup of coffee for them. At the very least, only friendly waves and smiles can make someone's day.
We live in a great country, and it takes a lot to keep it from all kinds of people with all kinds of different skills in thousands of different jobs. One of the most important, and perhaps least well known, is the truck driver who keeps bringing us everything we want or want, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Next time you wear new clothes, turn on an appliance, or bite a piece of runny fruit, think about how it got to where you bought it, and then thank the truck driver!
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