It’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

It’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Silica Transport Recognizes Drivers During

ralphhardin@gmail.com Did you know this week is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week?

Here in the U.S., we’ve got planes, trains and automobiles. But it is still the big-rig trucker that carries the majority of the load when it comes to getting our goods where they need to go.

In recognition of the contribution the American truck driver makes to our economy and our lives, a few years ago, the trucking industry began National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. The week-long “celebration of the millions of professional truck drivers who deliver freight safely and securely every day” is particularly important here in Arkansas, where, thanks to the influx of several interstate thoroughfares, the trucking industry is an even more vital part of our lives “Professional truck drivers literally deliver for our families every day,” said James Knight, President of Silica Transport, based in Northeast Arkansas. “We're happy to take this week to recognize their hard work during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.”

This year's National Truck Driver Appreciation Week runs from Sept. 11 through Sept. 17. There are more than 3.4 million professional truck drivers nationwide — including hundreds of drivers who call Arkansas home — delivering all of life's essential goods, from food to fuel to medicine to clothing.

Truck-driving professionals drove more than 421 billion miles last year, delivering nearly 10 billion tons of freight — accounting for roughly 70 percent of all freight moved in the U.S.

In fact, 80 percent of U.S.

communities depend solely on trucking to deliver goods.

Here in Crittenden County, two major Interstate Highways, I-40 and I-55 converge, with thousands of trucks hauling millions of tons of cargo through our community every day.

While it’s easy to become frustrated with the toll these big rigs have on the roadways or truckers “hogging the road,” it’s important to remember the role the trucking industry has in our lives.

To learn more about how essential the trucking industry is, visit www.ntdaw.org.

By Ralph Hardin