Honoring Trucking’s Essential Workers

Turbulent times have a way of revealing the heroes among us.

With the historic COVID-19 pandemic exacting a horrific death toll and inflicting severe economic pain in the United States and around the world, seemingly ordinary people have stepped up to serve on the front lines of the fight against this virus.

These everyday heroes don’t wear capes, but you can find them tending to patients in a hospital, stocking shelves at a grocery store, or behind the wheel of a commercial truck delivering essential goods.

Professional truck drivers and other workers in the transportation industry have always performed indispensable jobs, but many have gone above and beyond the call of duty during this pandemic to ensure that store shelves remain stocked with necessities and crucial medical supplies arrive on time.

This special commemorative microsite, Trucking’s Frontline Heroes, sets out to capture the stories of these workers who have made personal sacrifices and risked exposure to the virus to help fuel the nation’s response to COVID-19.

The men and women of the trucking industry have stepped up in so many ways during these challenging times.

They headed into COVID-19 hot spots to deliver ventilators and other medical equipment to hospitals.

They distributed cleaning products and personal protective equipment across the country as cases began to spike.

They ensured that food and other necessities remained available to consumers across the country, even when many businesses and restaurants had to temporarily close their doors.

They delivered packages to people’s front doors so they could stay at home rather than risk additional trips to the store.

They took extra steps to sanitize trucking equipment and logistics facilities to help prevent the spread of the virus.

They made personal sacrifices, in many cases working longer hours and forgoing vacation and home time to haul relief loads.

Through it all, this pandemic has served as a powerful reminder of just how much we all rely on truck drivers to keep goods flowing, even in normal times.

Many thousands of professionals throughout the trucking industry have been doing their part, from drivers to warehouse workers, as well as dispatchers and back-office staff, fleet managers and the technicians who maintain and repair the trucks.

While it’s impossible to honor each of them individually, Transport Topics has decided to highlight six unique heroes who exemplify the trucking industry’s dedication to keeping our society moving forward during these challenging times.

To find these stories, TT asked its readers to nominate industry professionals who exhibited uncommon dedication and selflessness in the face of this pandemic.

After receiving scores of nominations, a panel of TT editors selected a handful of them for this special recognition. From there, TT’s reporters interviewed these heroes and their colleagues to learn more about their experiences and the unique ways they contributed to their companies, their customers and our country.

And now, during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Transport Topics is proud to present Trucking’s Frontline Heroes.