The week of September 8th to the 14th is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. We always enjoy taking this week to thank our truck drivers for the selfless, hard work they put into their jobs every day. We can do this by going out of our way to show our appreciation not only during this week but also during every other week of the year. Currently, as of 2019, truck drivers are single-handedly responsible for moving approximately 70% of our goods in the US, which is worth a staggering total of $671 billion annually.
The US currently has over 3.5 million hardworking truck drivers moving goods throughout the US and that number is forecasted to continue to increase along with consumer command in the coming years. Appreciating our truck drivers is crucial as there are about ~60,000 trucking jobs throughout the US that need to get filled right now and that number will balloon to about 175,000 vacancies by 2024 alone.
You Can Get Involved In Appreciating Indiana Truck Drivers:
If you want to get involved in celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation, there are quite a variety of ways that it can get done. Even if you show thanks to one or two truck drivers, you can make a difference in their lives through a small act of kindness that will touch them more than you know. The following are some great ideas to help thank truck drivers for all they do for us every day:
- Have your business/company post a “thank you” post to truck drivers on social media to raise awareness about what they do every day
- Set up a drive or seek to donate to a collection or drive that collects supplies for truck drivers while they are on the road (whether these are personal hygiene products or something like audiobooks that they can listen to while on the road)
- Start a drive up to donate telephone calling cards to local truck drivers so they can use them to call their family while they are on the road
- Volunteer to offer to help make truck drivers a hot meal at their next stop on the road
- Suggest that your local gas station or truck stop offers free coffee to truck drivers for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
- Encourage your local gym to offer truck drivers a free “trial” period at their gym or to provide them with a basic health screening (height, weight, BMI, blood pressure check, etc.) to help encourage drivers to take care of themselves just like they take care of others
- Encourage your town or municipality to make and post signs thanking truck drivers for what they do
- Simply saying “thank you” to a truck driver you see at a gas station or truck stop to let them know they are appreciated
These are just a few ways that you can take a few moments to participate in an initiative that gives back to truck drivers as they give to us year-round.
Remember, that you don’t have to keep your “thanks” for truck drivers confined to National Truck Driver Appreciation Week from September 8th to 14th, 2019, but you can spend a few moments thanking an Indiana truck driver any time of the year. Letting truck drivers know how appreciated they are can go a long way in helping boost their morale and make them feel like they do make a difference in our daily lives.
For more information on how you can help us celebrate truck drivers throughout the US during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, please feel free to contact us at DriveCo CDL Learning Center to get further involved!
