Ode to the Truck Driver

We take for granted all the truck drivers who travel America’s intricate web of pick-up and delivery every day, seven days a week, supplying us with our integral needs. They make it possible for us to buy broccoli from California in the middle of winter, Angus beef from Iowa for our grilled hamburgers, and French fries from Idaho potatoes. Our medicines, hospital equipment, building supplies, and the sheets on our beds all come to us because of a truck driver.

The impact on the day-to-day living of the average American would be severely felt if the trucking system were interrupted.  The possibility of a catastrophe such as a terrorist attack, a pandemic, or a natural disaster could put people who depend on the delivery of even the most simplistic items in a crisis. According to a report put out by the American Trucking Association, a shutdown of the trucking system would result in “a swift and devastating impact on the food, healthcare, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors.”

It is time for us to recognize the importance of the trucking industry and the truck drivers in our nation.  We need to devise ways to keep their roadways open and secure.  We need to encourage those men and woman who choose to drive a truck for a living by giving them a decent wage and decent work environment.  Not only is this fair, it is imperative in keeping the flow of goods coming to every town, parish, store, hospital, and gas station in our country.

So, the next time you are behind a semi-truck cursing them for going too slow, take a moment and thank them for all the things they deliver for you every day. Say a prayer that their jobs will not be eliminated, and that they will continue to service all Americans, come what may.