There is no such thing as a thankless task. Sometimes the thanks isn’t loud or very public. Sometimes the thanks we get come from ourselves or from the feeling of doing a job well done. And sometimes, people forget what it takes to do a certain job because it just happens, as if by magic, and so they don’t even think to say thank you. There is one job that falls into that category and, we think this is a good time to change that up some.

Without Trucks

At one time in this country, trains were king. Railroads were the only way to get goods from one part of the nation to another. But things changed when we needed trains to transport troops and then trucks took over the road. It’s been an interesting evolution this trucking industry. And it’s one that has not stopped growing and leading since it stepped out of the shadows of the iron rail.

Practically everything you touch in your supermarket, variety shops, sporting goods stores, everything, has spent some time, from manufacturer to you, in a truck. The idea of life without trucks is bleak and it would simply be impossible without truck drivers. The world literally comes to halt in a matter of days if there were no drivers and no trucks on the road. That’s not an exaggeration, that’s a simple, economical fact.

Without trucks and the skillful drivers who operate them groceries, medical supplies, clean water chemicals … nothing would be moving across this great nation and that would mean life would come to a standstill.

It's not easy

The hours, the stress, the people who share the road with them, the changing regulations, the fact that not one of the regulators charged with overseeing the trucking industry was ever a truck driver … these things don’t help to make the job any easier. On top of that drivers have to deal with sleep deprivation, tough driving geography not to mention the hypnotic effect and danger of the white line.

When you’re with family and friends, these warriors of the highways are out there making sure you get the products that make time with friends and family better. Even during the holidays, they are on the road and working for us. The time alone, the hard work, the miles from loved ones can take a heavy toll on drivers, and we need to be aware of that. We need to be there for them as much as they are there for us. And they are there for us, day after day.

Think about this

In 2018 trucks moved $772 billion in freight across the United States. If you don’t think you were a recipient of some of that freight, you need to get out more.

Trucks move 70% of all goods transported across the United States. Walmart alone employs 8,600 trucks for their deliveries and cargo transportation needs. That’s Walmart and each week, nearly 265 million customers and members visit approximately 11,500 stores under 56 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. That’s just Walmart. 

About 5.8% of all full-time jobs in America are related to the trucking industry. And even with all those stats and all that work, the trucking industry is still short drivers which means the ones who are working, are working a lot.

So, what are we saying?

Beyond all the facts and statistics, the numbers and the worries about trucking there are men and women who, every day, climb into a rig and make sure the goods we need, the things we count on to stay healthy, stay alive, stay connected, stay happy, arrive on time, in the right place. And because they do it with professionalism, dedication and with no big hoopla, we often forget how important they are.

But what we are taking the time to do right now. Especially right now when we are all scared of the COVID-19 virus, when we’re all thinking about staying alive, when we’re all sheltering in place and ordering online, we are taking the time to say thank you.

Thank you, drivers. Thank you for being there for us time and time again. Thank you for risking for the rest of us. Thank you for seeing how important your job is and doing it with grace and skill. Thank you for putting your families on hold so we can be with ours. Thank you for facing the dangers of the road and not backing down. Thank you for doing what you do and not demanding praise or fame. Thank you.

It’s easy to forget that the birthday present, the Christmas gift, the perfect addition to the summer BBQ, the life-saving hospital equipment, the softball bat, the board game … all the things that are there at our finger’s tips when we need them, are there because of truck drivers.

They don’t complain, they don’t demand praise, they just do their jobs and when they’re done, they go home. We here at Pride know the true value of each and every one of our drivers and not a day goes by that we’re not thankful for them and the work they do. Maybe, if you have a moment, you can thank a driver or share a story of something special a drive has done for you. In the midst of all this current craziness, take a second and thank a truck driver.

Even if we say it every day, we don’t say it enough. Thank you, drivers, for everything you do for us. Stay safe. Stay true. And always drive with Pride.