Steering the right course

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an opportunity to recognise the vital importance of the role played by the 3.6 million men and women who undertake one of our economy's most demanding and important jobs - ensuring that goods are delivered safely and on time.

The most recent data from the American Trucking Associations indicates that professional truck drivers cover more than 287 billion miles a year, hauling 11.5 billion tons of freight. More than 80% of US communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of goods and commodities.

More than 80% of US communities depend solely on trucking for delivery of goods and commodities.

Nearly every aspect of daily life is made possible because a truck driver delivered the goods and resources behind it. The contribution made by professional truck drivers was particularly crucial in enabling society to continue to function at the height of the pandemic.

“We have all seen the boom in e-commerce since the start of the pandemic and without having goods pre-positioned at warehouses, it would not be possible to distribute them quickly,” explains Doug Queen, VP solution sales, Kalmar terminal tractors.

“Truck drivers play a key role in moving machines and parts around our warehouses and we also rely on these drivers to bring parts into our manufacturing facilities to produce our trucks.”

Kalmar uses National Truck Driver Appreciation Week to recognise the members of its Driving Force program. Participating in this program gives members direct access to recent news, current events, and press releases from Kalmar Ottawa and enables them to become part of a larger community specifically designed for yard drivers who operate yard trucks.

“This program is open to any truck driver in the US and Canada and every member has the ability to provide direct feedback on our products,” says Queen. “The objective of the program is to encourage reliable feedback – the more feedback we get, the better we can meet our customers’ needs.”

“Truck drivers play a key role in moving machines and parts around our warehouses and we also rely on these drivers to bring parts into our manufacturing facilities to produce our trucks.”

The information provided by Driving Force members is shared internally, not just among the sales team but also with the engineering, manufacturing and sourcing colleagues.

“Participants receive special promotions throughout the year,” adds Queen. “These incentives are our way of thanking drivers for giving us valuable feedback. Drivers appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback because they want to feel that what is important to them matters.”