National Truck Driver Appreciation Week: Honoring the Drivers—and the Training—that Keep America Moving

Every grocery store shelf stocked, school cafeteria supplied, hospital equipped and package delivered has something in common: Somewhere along the way, a truck driver probably helped get it there.

September 13–19, 2026, marks National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, an annual celebration recognizing the professional drivers who keep goods moving throughout the United States. This year’s celebration comes at an important moment for the trucking industry. While the country recognizes the millions of drivers doing this demanding work every day, federal regulators are also increasing scrutiny of how new commercial drivers are trained and prepared for the road.

Together, these conversations highlight something the trucking industry and Ancora Training has long understood: Professional drivers are essential, and quality training matters.

Why America Depends on Professional Truck Drivers

It’s easy to overlook trucking because it works largely behind the scenes. Most people don’t see the thousands of miles traveled before products arrive at a hospital, warehouse, restaurant or front door.

But the numbers reveal just how much the country depends on trucking.

• According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), trucks transported approximately 72.7% of the nation’s freight by weight in 2024, representing roughly 11.27 billion tons of freight.
• More than 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on trucks for their freight transportation needs.
• Approximately 3.6 million professional truck drivers help make that system possible.

Truck drivers don’t simply transport freight. They connect nearly every other industry in America.

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 2026

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week was launched by the American Trucking Associations in 1988. The theme for this year recognizes drivers “For the Miles You Drive and the Sacrifices You Make.”

ATA is encouraging companies, organizations and individuals across the country to participate throughout the week.

Activities include wearing the official green and yellow colors to kick off the week, providing meals or snacks for drivers at terminals and truck stops, participating in industry events and sharing messages of appreciation on social media using #NTDAW26 and #ThankATrucker.

ATA’s Women In Motion program will also host a special webinar during the week focused on women in trucking and the experiences, pride and challenges of women professional drivers.

But appreciation doesn’t have to involve a formal event.

Thanking a driver, providing a meal, recognizing drivers within your organization or simply remembering the person behind the wheel when you pass a truck on the highway are all meaningful ways to acknowledge the professionals responsible for keeping America’s supply chain moving.

Supporting the Next Generation of Professional Drivers

Celebrating today’s drivers also means thinking about future drivers. Employers will continue to need qualified professionals who can safely operate commercial vehicles. At the same time, students and career changers are looking for practical career pathways that can lead to opportunities in transportation and logistics.

Community colleges and workforce organizations can play an important role in connecting those needs.

But establishing and operating a high-quality CDL program requires significant resources. Programs need qualified instructors, appropriate equipment and training ranges, compliant curriculum, administrative processes and the ability to adapt to changing federal and state requirements.

That is where an experienced workforce training partner can help.

Ancora Training Helps Build High-Quality CDL Programs

Ancora Training partners with community colleges, businesses and workforce organizations to deliver CDL training designed to prepare students for careers in commercial driving while helping institutions meet the operational demands of running these programs.

Rather than requiring an institution to build every component of a CDL program from the ground up, Ancora Training can provide the expertise and infrastructure to launch and manage training efficiently. Recent developments across the CDL training industry make that commitment to quality even more important.

This September 13–19, take a moment to thank the drivers who spend long days and nights on America’s roads. And as the industry looks toward its future, let’s also continue investing in the training, safety and workforce partnerships that help prepare the next generation to take the wheel.

Interested in expanding CDL training at your community college or organization? Learn how Ancora Training can help you develop and deliver a high-quality CDL training program designed around the needs of your students, employers and community.