Celebrations Highlight Appreciation Of Nation’s 3.2 Million Truck Drivers

This story appears in the Sept. 22 print edition of Transport Topics.

It was not unusual to find fleet executives flipping burgers, basting chicken or slicing steak for fajitas in terminals across the country last week in honor of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.

From Reno, Nevada, to Dayton, Ohio, to Joplin, Missouri, carriers were finding ways to extend thanks and kudos to the 3.2 million men and women who drive the nation’s trucks moving goods.

“I cooked; my supervisors cooked; my sales people were cooking,” said Jay Haines, who manages the Reno terminal of Old Dominion Freight Line, where they fed every driver coming through on Sept. 16.

Similar cookouts were held last week at Old Dominion’s more than 200 terminals, Haines said.

“It’s their day,” Haines said. “Let them relax

and eat as they come and go, maybe during their workday or after their linehaul run.”

At Jet Express Inc.’s terminals in Dayton, Ohio, and in Marion, Indiana, President Kevin Burch not only grilled food and handed out thermoses, he also invited the carrier’s suppliers, and even his bankers, to attend to help honor his drivers.

“The drivers like that because they get to talk to the people they buy the fuel from, we buy the tires from,” Burch said. “Anybody can shake somebody’s hand, but if they really feel like they’re part of the team, that’s what we try to do during the Appreciation Week.”

Burch also hired a radio station to broadcast from the Dayton event, pitched a tent out front for his recruiters and put an ad in the paper telling potential drivers to come on by.

“We’re appreciating the drivers, but we’ve got a driver shortage, so we made it a Career Day, as well,” he said.

Con-way Truckload, headquartered in Joplin, fired up its annual barbecue last week, too.

“We have five terminals across the nation, but to make it more fun, we have mystery guests arrive and serve the food, and they’re our executives,” said Katlin Owens, the carrier’s internal communications coordinator.

During the week, Con-way Inc. President Joe Dagnese was among those serving up the meals at terminals in Lancaster and Laredo, Texas, as well as at West Memphis, Arkansas.

Owens said for those drivers who couldn’t get to a terminal, the company gave them $15 to buy a meal on the road.

American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves spoke to drivers via video, thanking those who “safely move the products in this country to provide for the great quality of life that all Americans have come to appreciate.” He also thanked the families of drivers who he said lend support to those behind the wheel.

Philip Byrd Sr., the federation’s chairman, said: “For too long, our millions of professional drivers have not been afforded the respect they deserve, and we hope this annual celebration of their dedication to safety and their essential role in our economy can help to change that.”

At Total Quality Logistics corporate headquarters on Interstate 275 outside of Cincinnati, large banners declared they were honoring their drivers, and inside, workers were preparing gifts to mail to drivers, including gym bags and coffee mugs.

ABF Freight, headquartered in Fort Smith, Arkansas, also was feeding its drivers around the country and holding drawings for everything from flashlights to iPads and Kindle e-readers.

Atlas Van Lines sponsored dining events for its drivers and gave out cash prizes, and Lynden Transport in Alaska had barbecues and gave out pocket lights, coolers, headlamps and tool bags.

Carriers and logistics companies weren’t the only ones honoring the folks who haul 68% of the nation’s freight. Many states, including South Carolina and West Virginia, issued proclamations praising drivers. And businesses that depend on truckers to haul their products also joined the celebrations last week.

Tractor Supply Co. in Waco, Texas, had a cookout for the Con-way drivers who run its loads. Insurance company HNI of New Berlin, Wisconsin, also held a weeklong celebration.

“Probably about 70% of our customers are in transportation,” said Andrea Tarrell, HNI’s marketing director. “It’s very near and dear to our hearts.”

The firm sent health-tip booklets to drivers and took advantage of social media to hold a contest for drivers who wrote the best essay about what they love about trucking.

“We have some entries that are pretty compelling,” Tarrell said last week. “The winner will get an iPad mini.”