ATA Celebrates Start of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Weeklong Celebration of America's Truck Drivers to Highlight Importance of Industry

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Sep 13, 2015, 10:00 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations – along with thousands of its members and partners – is commemorating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week: a weeklong celebration of the country's 3.4 million professional truck drivers.

"National Truck Driver Appreciation Week provides us the opportunity to honor the millions of men and women who safely and professionally move freight across this great country each and every day," ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said in a video message kicking off NTDAW.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight.Trucking Moves America Forward.

"We know what a challenging job driving a truck can be, but we also know that trucks move America forward and without each of you we just simply couldn't get that job done," he said.

Celebrated this year the week of September 13-19, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week will feature celebrations hosted by motor carriers, shippers and other trucking-related industries, as well as with events hosted by ATA, its state affiliates and America's Road Team Captains.

These groups routinely celebrate NTDAW with driver award ceremonies, company cookouts, bonuses and gifts for drivers and other expressions of appreciation for the extremely important job America's truck drivers do.

"I call on every American to join me – and the ATA – in honoring our drivers," said ATA Chairman Duane Long, chairman of Longistics, Raleigh, N.C. "America's truck drivers perform an important duty in helping us maintain our economy and our quality of life and too often we take them for granted. It is our hope that this weeklong celebration of their dedication to safety and professionalism can change that."

There are over 3.4 million professional truck drivers delivering our everyday needs nationwide. These professional men and women log more than 169 billion miles each year. In 2013, trucking professionals delivered 68.8% of the U.S. freight tonnage, equivalent to 9.96 billion tons of freight. 80 percent of U.S. communities depend solely on the trucking industry for the delivery of goods. Professional truck drivers keep America moving forward.

ATA began celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week in 1988 in an effort to honor those hard working men and women who deliver life's essentials every day.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is sponsored by ATA, SmartDrive, U.S. Legal Services, MacroPoint and The Keiser Group.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward

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SOURCE American Trucking Associations