When the world stopped, Alabama truck drivers kept moving

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ford Boswell
fboswell@alabamatrucking.org

Every day, millions of Alabamians get behind the wheel and head out on the highways. Some of them are off to the grocery store, others to their place of work, and some are among the 3.6 million professional truck drivers in America. These are the hard-working professional men and women who deliver the goods that keep Alabama’s economy moving.

From the food we eat, the clothes we wear, to the medical supplies and equipment we use to stay healthy – professional truck drivers get things where they need to be, on time, safely and securely. 

Beginning on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, America’s trucking industry will celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Because when the world stopped, professional commercial drivers kept moving. During the COVID-19 pandemic, professional truck drivers took on a heroic role by delivering essential goods to our communities. The sacrifices that professional drivers made to help carry the nation through the pandemic must never be understated. To deliver for American families, drivers put their own health, and the health of their families on the line. Their dedication and sacrifice are deserving of our praise, recognition and appreciation.

Truck drivers deliver more than 10 billion tons of freight every year — about 70% of all the freight moved in the U.S. Further, more than 80 percent of Alabama communities receive all their goods via truck.

The trucking industry is the backbone of our economy, and professional drivers are the industry’s greatest asset. Their commitment to safety and dependability ensures our quality of life remains intact – even during a pandemic.

This week, while you’re at the supermarket shopping for groceries to feed your family, take a moment to notice how well-stocked the shelves are – and remained, even during the most trying moments of the pandemic. Then think about the professional drivers who delivered the food you, and everyone else you know put into your carts and brought home to your families. When sitting at home, maybe in your home office, look around and realize that everything inside it was at some point in the back of a truck before it got to where it is now.

When next at a restaurant or picking up takeout, think about the meal you’re about to eat and how the ingredients were very recently delivered by truck. Think about all the jobs truck drivers have made possible out of the commitment to do theirs.

During this National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, please take a moment to consider the efforts of America’s truck drivers and recognize that without them, your home, your workplace, your dinner table, and your life, would look very different.

Our most sincere thanks to America’s professional truck drivers, who truly do move our great country forward.