Why We Support National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (and why you should, too)

Did you know truck drivers account for 1 out of every 15 jobs in Maine? 

How about the fact that total trucking industry wages in Maine in 2022 topped $1.8 billion? 

And if neither of those things impress you, try picturing 52,650 tons of manufactured goods transported by truck throughout Maine, each day. 

Without professional truck drivers, life in Maine and all over America would literally and figuratively grind to a halt. At one point or another, everything you eat, drink, wear and use to heat your home spent time on a truck. Yet, ask any car driver how they feel about tractor trailer trucks and you’ll likely get an instant cringe, wince, or eye roll in return. 

At United Insurance, we’ve been insuring transportation companies of all sizes for decades. In the process, we’ve acquired immense respect for the owners who look after their fleets and the drivers who safely pilot them along our nation’s roadways. That’s why every September, we hit the road with Maine Motor Transport Association and Great West Casualty Company to personally thank truck drivers throughout the state during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. 

We’ll be giving away insulated gloves, safety vests, truck tread depth gauges, and water bottles at the following truck stops on the following days: 

Monday, September 16: 
(8am-noon): Irving Truck Stop in Fairfield
(1pm-4pm): Irving Truck Stop in Farmington
Tuesday, September 17: 
(8am to noon): Irving Truck Stop in Auburn
Wednesday, September 18:
(8am to noon): Kennebunk Service Plaza (southbound)
Thursday, September 19: 
(8am to 1pm): Irving Truck Stop Houlton
Friday, September 20: 
(8am-noon): Dysart’s Truck Stop Hampden

“As the former chairman of MMTA’s board of directors, I understand the organization’s deep commitment to public safety,” United Insurance Vice President Ed Therrien explains. “I’ve also seen first-hand how trucking companies throughout the state have embraced the latest risk management tactics to improve their operations and make Maine’s public roads safer.”  

Check out our Facebook and LinkedIn pages for updates from the road as we let hundreds of truck drivers know how important they are to our economy and our way of life. Of course, as MMTA Vice President Tim Doyle likes to say: “The best way to thank a trucker is to give them the space they need to do their jobs.”  

We hope you’ll do just that the next time you’re on the highway. Safe travels! 

9/20 UPDATE

Here are a few photos from our events. We had a great time chatting with drivers from all over the country, many of whom recently moved here from Haiti, Ukraine, Nigeria, and Jamaica. We met drivers hauling everything from lumber to Home Depot stores, water from Poland Springs, and milk to Hannaford’s distribution center in South Portland. The drivers were as different as they could be (and plenty preferred to simply grab their food or fuel and get back on the road), but nearly all of them were happy to speak with us. We owe a lot to these hardworking folks!