A Word. -Love, Toilet Paper

There is nothing you have right now without assistance from the trucking industry. They are a proud, patriotic, persevering people: Behind the wheel sit men, women, husbands, children, wives, sisters, mothers, fathers. They manage their day to the minute, calculating speeds, construction, delays, parking, and traffic. Trucking regulations are nothing to drive over, and sometimes well-intended policy creates a bottleneck in the way of clear shoulders (picture your interstate off-ramp) and clean showers. During a time when drivers were unsure if they could return home after a delivery, they showed up and still went without coffee following hundreds of miles. The water stopped running for warm showers because truck stops shut down too. They said their own version of goodbye during COVID, leaving their families and inching into ghost-towns cities to delivery much-needed medical supplies and equipment – unsure of what exposure they risk as well.

The domestic sacrifice is significant and nothing any thoughtful person would ignore.

They are ready.

Ready to go.

Ready to lead.

Ready to see the country.

Ready to be welcomed home.

People in the trucking industry welcome you like a longtime friend. If you’re interested in what landmark to visit or how the local teams perform, ask a driver. The porchlight is not left on, but intentionally turned on for friends and family. You can’t get too far without being pulled into another meal to share, a toast to cheer, a laugh to hear. They are the first to step up, show up, drive up, get up. They get the job done. They know how to have fun – because when you’re having a party, that’s when we really get to know one another. They’re the genuine conduit connecting us to one another over hauled loads and long roads.

That toilet paper that fills your closets meant dozens of people in trucking couldn’t go home at night for risk of exposing their loved ones to an unknown virus that lurked in the corners of where these deliveries happened. (Americans spent an additional $2 billion on toilet paper in 2020 compared to previous annual sales.) Your seemingly small town community employs 1, 2, 200, 2,000 drivers. The economic engine that keeps you clothed, fed, and entertained showed up on a truck. Those trucks depend on an infrastructure. Those trucks depend on technicians, operators, logisticians, dreamers, creators. Drivers compete for miles-safely-traveled awards. This is an industry that takes safety seriously.

Trucking is the #1 job in 29 states. It’s the #1 system you depend on when disaster strikes. The trucking industry drives hope and delivers security: Transporting the goods and services you need to establish normalcy, safety, and consistency in an uncommon time. Empty shelves are unsettling. They showed up to help communities stock up.

1 out of every 16 jobs in the United States is a truck driver. Ohhh yeah, while truckers may love a good truck stop donut, finally the rest of the country is catching on to a casual dress code they pioneered. But have you considered their views? Mesas in the horizon when the sun comes up. The Rocky Mountains high above. The agriculture plains with sunflowers facing the morning with courage. This – this is the skyline of the truck driver.

You’ll be grateful to know one truck today produces less emissions than over 60 trucks combined in the 1980s. This industry is one of the most inventive, audacious, excitable, and innovative groups of our time. Who doesn’t want clean air? The people in this industry lead the way when tackling those desires and considerations for the generations that follow. And if you want more detail, I encourage you to show up to your state trucking office and participate.

The call to action is simple. Show up. Learn. Get engaged. Shape this outcome. Most of all, thank the industry who gives you so much knowing they’ll be on to the next town before your coffee is brewed. Thank you to the American trucker, the American Trucking Association, and to all the men, women, and families who support the growth of such a critical industry.