(September 7, 2007) -- Canada’s trucking industry is gearing up to roll out National Trucking Week this weekend. This year’s event runs from September 9 – 15, 2007. National Trucking Week is held annually to spotlight the important contributions made by the 400,000 Canadians (over 200,000 in Ontario) who work in the industry. The week also serves as a platform for raising awareness of how to safely share the road with trucks and about the industry’s new smog-free trucks.

“One week is hardly enough to recognize the efforts of so many people in an industry which operates 24/7, 365 days a year, but it is OUR week," says David Bradley, President, Ontario Trucking Association.  "The trucking industry is the lifeblood of commerce. And, it is our people that make it happen."

Trucks haul 90% of all consumer products and foodstuffs and two-thirds of Canada’s trade with the United States – our largest trading partner and the destination for about 80% of all Canadian exports. Our people ensure that store shelves are stocked, that food products arrive fresh, and that key parts get to manufacturers’ assembly lines on time. The old saying, If You Got It, A Truck Brought It, is as true today as it ever was.

Most importantly, the trucking industry is one of the few industries that share its workplace with the public and it takes its responsibility to ensure that it operates safely and in keeping with environmental stewardship at the top of its list of priorities. Our drivers and our vehicles are the safest drivers and vehicles of any on the road. Our engines and our fuels are cleaner than any other freight mode – we are in the era of the smog-free truck. Trucking is an important part of every community.

"Grocery store shelves are stocked and the supplies we need for daily living are available when we need them, thanks to the country’s safe and reliable trucking industry,” says Bradley. “This week we salute the men and women who form the backbone of the trucking industry."

All over the province, OTA member companies are marking National Trucking Week in a wide variety of ways. Some fleets are saying ‘thanks’ by treating their staff to special breakfasts, lunches or BBQs during the week, while others are presenting commemorative jackets or shirts and other tokens of appreciation to their staff. Senior managers at some fleets are washing and fueling trucks for truck drivers before they leave the yard.