Voices from across the freight industry are acknowledging National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW) from September 13 to 19, marking the event at a time when the trucking sector has seen a swift succession of changes.
After spending more than three years struggling with low cargo rates during a prolonged freight recession, truckers and fleets are finally seeing those statistics start to change. However, some analysts note that the rate recovery may be tenuous, since it reflects a sector with a shrunken pool of drivers, not an increase in freight demand. That workforce reduction has come as the White House has applied a series of policies that forced many drivers out of the industry, such as stricter enforcement of penalties for insufficient English language competency, and bans on commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) granted to “non-domiciled” applicants who don’t live in that state.
Against that backdrop, government regulators at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said they are thanking the nation’s more than 3.5 million professional truck drivers for their commitment to moving our nation’s economy and people forward. “The Trump Administration stands with the hardworking truck drivers of this country. The Administration is proudly committed to taking steps to improve life on the road, reduce barriers, and enhance safety through a package of pro-trucker initiatives, pilot programs, and regulatory updates,” FMCSA said in a release.
The freight broker C.H. Robinson likewise announced a series of events linked to NTDAW, even as it noted the scale of recent change that has swept across the sector. “The resilience of our carrier community never ceases to impress me,” said Michael Castagnetto, president of North American Surface Transportation at C.H. Robinson. “The past year has brought no shortage of challenges, from ongoing market pressure and regulatory uncertainty to broader economic and geopolitical headwinds. Through it all, these carriers continued to show up for customers, support their drivers, and keep freight moving. Their ability to adapt and deliver in tough conditions is what sets them apart.”
And from the fleet operator side of the market, Tennessee-based transportation provider Averitt Express said it would mark Driver Appreciation Week by hosting local cookouts, food trucks and special meals, as well as companywide drawings for electronics, headsets and more. Additionally, each day during the week, a driver will win an assignment for a brand-new truck.
But not all groups see the event as a time for simple celebration. Rather, a labor group called Justice for Truck Drivers held a protest in Toronto that it said was intended to “call out the Carney government’s response to rampant wage theft in trucking.” In the group’s view, new measures by Canada’s government to stop illegal employer violations of labor laws are misfiring, targeting and harming truck drivers while letting employers off the hook altogether. The group said that truck drivers comprise 17% of Canada’s federally-regulated workforce, and yet a disproportionate 85% of all confirmed Canada Labour Code violations have been filed by truck drivers against their employers.
