Nothing Without Trucking: National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 2024

More than three million truckers deliver goods to businesses and communities across the country each year, taking significant time away from their own homes and families to keep our economy moving.

These drivers’ contributions go far beyond the realm of shipping and transportation — they are among the strongest advocates for road safety, a crucial link in nation-wide disaster relief and a pivotal piece of coordinated anti-trafficking efforts, all as they face the harsh challenges of life on the road.

For this (and so many more reasons, see below), the First Call team and our friends in the logistics industry encourage all to participate in the 36th annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.

Celebrating Truck Drivers “From Coast to Coast”

Truck drivers support local, regional and national infrastructure in ways most may not realize. This year’s appreciation week theme, “From Coast to Coast,” highlights truckers’ perseverance and willingness to bring goods to even the most difficult-to-reach, out-of-the-way locations.

The ATA estimates four out of five communities in the U.S. rely solely on truck delivery for goods and commodities — communities where even small gestures of appreciation can make all the difference for what is too often a thankless job.

Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an opportunity to consider the sacrifices these drivers make daily, including long hours spent navigating unpredictable weather, traffic congestion and other road hazards all while adhering to strict industry regulations and warding off their own mental and physical exhaustion.

Nothing Without Trucking

While the coast-to-coast theme brings to mind the breadth of truckers’ influence on modern commerce, the ATA’s secondary slogan — “Nothing Without Trucking” — stands as a pointed reminder of the near-impossible rate of demand for delivered goods these drivers continue to face.

Commercial truckers move an astounding 12.6 billion tons of freight each year — nearly two-thirds of the nation’s total freight weight — including raw manufacturing materials, heavy machinery, time-sensitive medical supplies and hazardous materials requiring the highest level of care.

What’s more, the average over-the-road (OTR) driver is on the road for about 300 days a year, often away from home for weeks or even months at a time. While the everyday civilian drives about 14,000 miles annually, OTR drivers average about 125,000 miles each year (roughly 2,500 miles per week). For perspective, that’s the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe five times.

In 2022, single-unit and combination trucks traveled a combined 331 billion miles along US roadways; enough to drive to Neptune and back 57 times (with several miles to spare). The US Department of Transportation estimated the value of domestic cargo transported by truck that same year at $13.6 trillion — that’s a year’s worth of physical goods worth more than Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google and Meta combined.

Showing Appreciation

Running September 15-21, Appreciation Week reminds us of the pivotal role truckers play in American business and our everyday lives. This massive undertaking to keep the country’s homes and businesses perpetually stocked with necessities is made possible only through the sustained efforts of dedicated truck drivers everywhere.

Join our team at First Call Logistics, the ATA and our friends in the industry in celebrating Appreciation Week by sharing a message with the hashtags #NTDAW24 and #ThankATrucker, expressing gratitude for a trucker in person, continuing to give drivers the universal “please honk the horn for the kids in the backseat” hand signal, and supporting policies and practices which enhance the lives of the drivers who keep our nation moving forward.