Every September, the trucking industry takes a week to say thank you to the people behind the wheel. This year, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week ran from September 13 to 19, and companies, shippers, and communities across the country took time to recognize the work professional drivers do every day.

The week is organized by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). According to the official NTDAW page, it honors the roughly 3.6 million professional truck drivers who move America’s freight safely and on time.

Why this week matters

Most people don’t think about trucking until something is missing from a store shelf. The food in the grocery store, the medicine at the pharmacy, the building materials on a job site: almost all of it spent some time on a truck.

That work comes with real sacrifices. Drivers spend long stretches away from home, deal with traffic and weather, and often work while the rest of the country is asleep. A week of recognition doesn’t change that, but it’s a good reminder of how much depends on them.

How the industry celebrated

Celebrations this year looked a lot like past years, and that’s a good thing. Carriers hosted cookouts and meals at terminals, truck stops ran driver deals, and many companies used social media to share driver stories and thank their teams using the hashtag #NTDAW26.

The recognition reached state government too. Lawmakers in New York passed resolutions asking the governor to proclaim September 13–19, 2026 as Truck Driver Appreciation Week in the state.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) also joined in, sharing messages thanking drivers for the miles they put in and the sacrifices they make.

What drivers really want

Free meals and gift cards are nice, but drivers often say the things that matter most are simpler: being treated with respect at shipping and receiving docks, getting loaded and unloaded on time, finding safe parking, and getting home when they were promised.

That’s something the whole industry can work on, not just one week a year. Shippers, brokers, and carriers all play a part in making a driver’s day easier or harder.

Our take at CW Carriers

At CW Carriers, we work with drivers and carrier partners every day, and we know our business doesn’t move without them. National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a good moment to say it out loud: thank you.

To every driver who hauled a load with us this year, and to the ones still out on the road right now, we appreciate you. Not just in September, but all year long.

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