Nov 3, 2009 9:11 AM

Bill Graves

The American Trucking Associations is taking the week of November 1–7, 2009, to honor the 3.5 million professional truck drivers that deliver America’s freight safely and securely everyday.

“Professional truck drivers deserve recognition for safely delivering our nation’s freight,” said Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer. “As a result of their commitment, our nation’s highways are the safest they’ve ever been and our grocery shelves are stocked. We as a nation owe a great deal to the truck drivers out on our nation’s roads every day.”

During this National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, ATA and its state affiliates will hold events across the nation. ATA’s Share the Road tractor-trailer and Share the Road professional drivers were at Bressler’s Truck Stop on Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania November 2 with the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association cooking hot dogs and saying “thank you” to the truck drivers they met. They continue on to Virginia and the Fairfield Safety Rest Area on I-81 for a November 4 event with the Virginia Trucking Association. The ATA Image Trailer was in Florida at the Fort Pierce Flying J truck stop November 2 before traveling to Tampa to participate in the Florida Trucking Association’s event November 5 at the I-4 Plant City Scales.

Celebrations this week hosted by motor carriers, shippers, and other trucking-related industries include: million-mile and safety awards, cash bonuses or gifts, an extra paid day off, a cup of coffee or windshield cleaning at truck stops, goodie bags with fresh fruit and water, and celebration meals—some lasting all week until every driver cycles through company headquarters. Office personnel at some companies are also encouraged to spend a few days out on the road to see the driver’s side of their business.

Dates for upcoming National Truck Driver Appreciation Week celebrations will be Sept 19-25, 2010; Sept 11-17, 2011; and Sept 16-22, 2012.

There are 3.5 million professional truck drivers nationwide. Logging more than 432 billion miles per year, trucks delivered 10.7 billion tons of freight in 2007, or 69% of total US freight tonnage. To learn more, visit www.ntdaw.org.