The Port of Brownsville is proud to join the U.S. trucking industry in celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (Sept. 13-19).
The efficiency and safety that truck drivers provide allow businesses and American citizens to confidently and safely ship goods across state lines and to every corner of the country – on which our economy fully depends.
This year’s celebration takes on a special meaning due to the spread of COVID-19. Professional truck drivers stepped up when they were needed most, and have kept the economy on its feet despite facing unprecedented obstacles.
On average, more than 1,500 trucks enter the Port of Brownsville daily to pick up cargo and deliver it across the nation and northern Mexico. The types of commodities carried – like refined petroleum products, sugar, salt, grains, windmill components and steel – serve as the foundational backbone of several industries in the U.S. and Latin America.
According to the American Trucking Association, there are more than 3.5 million professional truck drivers nationwide who deliver the nation’s freight safely and securely every day. These men and women log more than 400 billion miles annually and, in 2019, delivered 70 percent of U.S. freight tonnage – or more than 10 billion tons. Eighty percent of U.S. communities depend solely on the trucking industry as the only method to receive their goods and commodities.
As essential workers, the efforts and contributions of frontline truck drivers are deserving of America’s gratitude and appreciation.
