The people who keep America moving are being applauded during National Trucker Appreciation Week.
After drivers handled recent supply chain bottlenecks and coronavirus delays, the nation isn’t missing a chance to thank these key workers.
Yellow Trucking senior vice president of trucker relations Bryan Reifsnyder shared on “Fox & Friends” on Friday that his company is celebrating its workers with cookouts, sit-down conversations and more.
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“We had our customers tell us what they appreciated most about our drivers,” he said.
“It was just really heartwarming.”
Pennsylvania trucker Esther Parsons joined the conversation, mentioning that she left her previous job to become a truck driver while putting her kids through college.
“It’s been great,” she said.
“I’ve had a great experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
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Ohio trucker Russ Simpson pointed out how easily a person is able to join the industry.
While there are 3.6 million drivers on America’s roads, Simpson said the industry still “needs more.”
“We’re in a situation right now where we don’t have enough drivers,” he said.
“I want to say thank you to all those drivers out there for what you do.”
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Parsons added that truck driving doesn’t mean sleeping on the side of the road anymore.
“I’m home every day,” she said.
“I’m either home for dinner or breakfast every day.”
The female trucker admitted that there were more mental hurdles keeping her from joining the industry than when she finally hopped aboard.
“The people have been great, the industry has been great to me and the road’s been great,” she said.
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Reifsnyder said new truckers can make a very nice salary — anywhere from $60,000 to more than $100,000 per year — right from the start.
The VP said that Yellow Trucking has 22 driving schools and a program that will cover the cost for candidates to earn their CDL.
Even with the perks, Simpson commented that it’s still hard to get new drivers into the industry.
“There’s too many people leaving,” he said.
“It’s a good living.”
“Yellow has plenty of opportunities out there for anyone who wants to come work for us,” he added.
