What Do Truckers Bring to the Table? Thank A Trucker 2021

What Do Truckers Bring to the Table?   Everything.  

Stop for just a moment and look all around you. What do you see? Truckers that need some love so please thank a trucker today!

Maybe you are sitting at your desk. You see your computer, mouse, a framed family picture, and steaming hot coffee.  

Or maybe, you’re at home, on the couch, browsing this article during a commercial break. You could be sitting in the break room surrounded by tables and chairs and vending machines. Or maybe you’re in a restaurant and have just been served a hot meal.  

Chances are, everything that surrounds you was transported on a big rig; every item in your refrigerator, every piece of clothing, every toy in your kid’s bedroom, the gas in your car (and your car itself). Did you take your medicine this morning? Yep, that was moved by a trucker too so please thank a trucker today. Over 70% of the nation’s goods are hauled on a tractor-trailer.  

Truckers Rise to the Occasion 

The average truck driver travels over 350 miles a day, which is roughly the width of Colorado. They spend weeks at a time away from their family to make sure you have everything you need.  

This has been a particularly rough year and a half for most drivers. We’ve all made accommodations and lifestyle changes since March of 2020. None of us, however, have sacrificed as much as truckers so please thank a trucker.  

We’ve read stories of drivers being denied food, showers, and facilities because of the pandemic. Imagine visiting a restaurant near your work only to be turned away because you were driving the wrong kind of vehicle. Or your office building completely shutting down the restrooms for social distancing purposes.  

We asked them to work longer hours and take fewer breaks. We asked them to deliver vaccinations as soon as they were released from the facility. We asked them to hurry up because we need toilet paper and masks and hand sanitizer! And through it all, we relied on them even more. 

And they did.  

More Trucker Struggles 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the trucking industry has experienced more changes than ever. More regulations, more demand, more criticism would make the average job leave the game altogether.  

Perhaps it’s the love of the open road that keeps them going. Or maybe their sense of duty to keep America on her feet. Either way, these truckers know they have a job to do, and they do it well.  

If you are thinking, “Eh, can’t be that hard to drive a truck,” think again. Trucking is much more than a point A to B gig. Read more about the struggles of truck drivers here: Parking nightmares and personal safety, threat of legal action, dangerous highways, and more.   

Truck Drivers Go Above and Beyond 

Some years ago, a mid-size trucking company in Southern Arkansas ran close to 1,000 reefer trucks. The facility conducted two orientations a week and had an 8-bay shop, so there were around 50-100 truck drivers on the facility every week.  

The exception was during driver appreciation week when close to 200 drivers a day might easily be on campus to join in festivities. During that week in 2018, the local schools were asking for additional supply donations after the start of the year.  

Between the cookouts, volleyball games, and tug-of-war in honor of driver appreciation, the company also ran a drive for school supplies. Since so many drivers in the yard, word traveled quickly that the local kids needed some help. 

The drivers jumped into action, gathered around a picnic table, and devised a plan! The group of five or so drivers recruited others to join them in their mission. 

By the time they were ready to leave, a group of 20 truckers had joined the cause. Others had donated cash on hand to help out. They requested a ride from the two available passenger vans and headed to the supercenter in town. 

When they returned, the drivers piled out of the van with arms full of pencils, paper, notebooks, markers, crayons, and even a few backpacks. They bought hundreds, if not thousands, of school supplies to donate to the little ones in town.  

They delivered their goods to the terminal lobby, grinning ear to ear and high-fiving each other for a job well done. You see, that’s the thing about truckers: they are selfless. They have to be. Sacrifice is the very nature of the job, whether it be time with their family, weekends, or a regular sleep schedule. And through it all, they always find time to give back.  

Thank A Trucker 

Hopefully, this article has given you some insight into the life of truck drivers. The best way to thank a trucker is to say thank you. We live in a world of easily accessible goods like food, gas, and household items because, in part, truckers deliver. You probably contact a truck driver weekly, whether at a gas station, grocery store, or fast-food joint.

Next time you see someone climbing out of a tractor-trailer, give them a fist bump and a grin and thanks. You might be surprised to see how little effort it takes to make someone’s day. 

If you know someone who drives a big rig, give them a shout-out. A simple message of “Thanks for all you do” can go a long way. We would like to express our gratitude with the following video in honor of truck driver appreciation week.

Share it to your social, send it in an email, or take a look. These last couple of years has shaken us all, but we will never forget the dedication of the American trucker.  

Here is a great post with Chuck Norris urging you to Thank a trucker

Another great page dedicated to truck drivers that need us to Thank a trucker today!