WHEREAS, the more than 3.6 million hard-working men and women who drive trucks are the unsung heroes of the American highway and economy, as more than 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on trucks to meet their freight transportation needs; and

WHEREAS, the trucking industry plays a critical role in Virginia’s economy by transporting 94 percent of the manufactured freight tonnage that moves into and out of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Virginians rely on the dedicated service of professional truck drivers to keep the shelves of our local supermarkets fully stocked; deliver medicine and medical supplies to hospitals and clinics; and deliver goods at every stage of production – from raw materials to the store shelf; and

WHEREAS, the men and women professional truck drivers of the Commonwealth of Virginia safely deliver more than 190,000 tons of freight each business day to over 86 percent of Virginia’s communities who depend solely on professional truck drivers to receive the goods they need, covering a total of 5.7 billion miles annually; and

WHEREAS, more than 195,000 Virginians earn their living and provide for their families through employment in the trucking industry, including the more than 43,380 citizens of the Commonwealth who work as professional tractor-trailer and delivery drivers; and

WHEREAS, the efficiency and safety of professional truck drivers enable businesses and private citizens to confidently ship goods to and from Virginia and across America, exemplified by a 65.7 percent decrease in the U.S. large truck fatal crash rate from 1975 to 2021; and

WHEREAS, during our most challenging times and in moments of natural disasters, professional truck drivers are among the first to respond, bringing critical goods to aid in our recovery; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of the importance of professional truck drivers to our well-being and the economic value of their industry to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America, it is appropriate to honor the men and women truck drivers for their past and future contributions;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 15-21, 2024, as TRUCK DRIVER APPRECIATION WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.