Let’s be honest — none of us give much thought to the trucks we see rolling down the highway every day. But we owe a great deal to the professional truck drivers that make those deliveries happen — and this week is a chance to extend a thank you for all that hard work.

There are 3.2 million truck drivers in the United States, with the industry employing one out of every fourteen people in the State of Mississippi. But the impact of trucking reaches far beyond simple employment figures.

Trucking is responsible for nearly 68 percent of the total U.S. freight tonnage and over 80 percent of communities rely solely on the trucking industry for their goods and commodities.

At dinner tonight look around and you’ll realize what this means: the table you set, the plates you use, even the food you eat; they were all delivered by a professional truck driver. Simply put — if you own it, consume it, or use it, it’s been on a truck.

So during this National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Sept. 11-17, make sure to let the men and women driving those trucks down the highway know it’s appreciated. They’re on the road every day, delivering life’s essentials.

David Roberts

president

Mississippi Trucking Association, Jackson