In Canada it is currently “Driver Appreciation Week” which is a week where we celebrate truck drivers for the work that they do in getting products on our shelves or materials into the hands of builders. Canada celebrates the first week of September and the United States celebrates the second week of September. We call the weeks ”Driver Appreciation Week” but really we are celebrating everyone in the transportation industry especially those on the front lines.
With that being said I personally feel that we should have a week for each area of transportation. That may also help in showing the public all the areas of transportation and the people behind the scenes. Should we have National Dispatchers Week, National Instructors Week, Load Planning Week, and other areas usually behind the scenes. A trucking company is a small team of dedicated professionals that have to work together to get a load down the road. If the load planners hadn’t arranged the load, then dispatch would not be able to do their job. Without dispatch truck drivers would not have anything to haul. We are all connected.
What about other people in the industry? We are starting to see changes and awards for other professionals in the trucking industry such as instructors, recruiters, and more. The last award winner from the Truck Training School Association of Ontario for Instructor of the Year was Joe Teixeira from Rosedale Transport. Teixeira has been in transportation for over 30 years and is truly dedicated to the transportation industry. He takes training and safety seriously and has been helping in keeping drivers fully trained and safe for many years. Without people like Teixiera and his dedication to safety we may not be celebrating drivers.
Should we rename the week? As a former driver I am in no way minimizing the job that the men and women driving have to do everyday. It is a hard and demanding job that requires a level of dedication that much of the general public doesn’t understand. If you asked all of those drivers you will find that there was someone who may or may not have been a driver that has been instrumental in helping shape their career. For myself it has been another driver that taught me to drive in the 80’s, a dispatcher that stood up for her drivers, a terminal manager that made me feel like family, and a company owner that invested in the those that took care of their equipment. They have all played an important part of my life and I still remember the many lessons they taught me.
Thank you to the drivers that go up and down the road each day, but even more thank you to all of you that are in the transportation industry and keep our economy moving. We salute you!
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About the Author
Bruce Outridge has been in the transportation industry for over 30 years. He is the author of the books Driven to Drive, Running By The Mile, and host of The Lead Pedal Podcast. TTSAO also known as the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario has certified member schools in the truck training vocation ensuring quality entry level drivers enter the transportation industry. To learn more about the TTSAO or to find a certified school in your area visit www.ttsao.com