National Trucking Week in Canada
National Trucking Week in Canada
National Trucking Week Salutes the Men and Women who Keep the Freight Moving
September 7 - 14, 2008
(Ottawa: July 9, 2008) -- National Trucking Week is held annually to spotlight the important contributions made by the more than 400,000 Canadian men and women who keep the country’s freight moving. Trucking in Canada is a $54.7 billion industry that employs over 260,000 drivers. Trucks move 90 percent of all consumer products and foodstuffs within Canada and almost two thirds, by value, of our trade with the United States, our largest trading partner. Without trucking, the wheels of commerce would stop rolling and Canadians would be unable to enjoy a high quality of life.
"Each year the week provides an opportunity to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who have chosen to make a career in the trucking industry." says David Bradley, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Trucking Alliance. "The work they perform is invaluable because it is thanks to their dedication that groceries get to the supermarket, gasoline to the local gas station and the goods Canadians produce make it to markets across the border and oversees. It is the people of the trucking industry, whether they work behind the scenes or over the road, who are the backbone of the economy."
Trucking is a diverse industry made up of a few large companies but dominated by thousands of small and medium-sized businesses and independent owner-operators. Members of the trucking industry and industry suppliers mark the week by recognizing truck drivers and other employees in a wide variety of ways," says Bradley. In previous years, trucking company executives have washed and fueled trucks for their drivers. Employees have enjoyed complimentary breakfasts and barbecues courtesy of their employers and all sorts of tokens of appreciation have been presented to employees. Truck stops have poured complimentary cups of coffee or offered slices of fresh pie to truck drivers.
The week also serves as a platform to enable the country’s trucking associations to deliver important information to the community about the vital role of the trucking industry and how all road users can be partners in safety. The date of this annual event is set each year by the Canadian Trucking Alliance in cooperation with the country’s seven provincial trucking associations.
For more about National Trucking Week and a list of Celebration Ideas – Please visit the Canadian Trucking Alliance web site at www.cantruck.ca – (click on the ‘Canada Moves by Truck’ icon).