Coronavirus: Got Toilet Paper? Here's How To Thank A Truck Driver

NORTH CAROLINA — As the nation continues to grapple with the day-to-day impacts of coronavirus, everyday heroes are popping up in communities — and on highways — everywhere.

One group of unsung heroes are the road warriors keeping stores stocked with groceries and supplies. If you have plenty of toilet paper and potato chips on hand as you hunker down at home, it's because of a truck driver.

The U.S. economy is dependent upon truckers, who each year, move about 80 percent of freight in the U.S., according to the National Trucking Associations.

Amid statewide shutdowns across the nation and panic buying of supplies, truckers continue to venture out when much of the country remains at home, often without easy access to frequent hand washing and with new limitations on where they can park for overnight rest.

Businesses that cater to truckers, however, are adapting. Truck stops, like the Iowa 80 Kitchen and restaurant chains, like McDonalds, are offering drivers curbside pickup of meals. Some drivers are opting to cook their meals in the cabs of their trucks.

To keep morale up, Schneider trucking company, which employs more than 11,000 drivers, has launched a "Thank A Trucker" campaign.

Do you want to thank a trucker? If so, send an email here with "Thank A Trucker" in the subject line and Schneider will post your message in its Charlotte Operating Center. You can also post messages on social media using #ThankATrucker.

"I think people, quite frankly, take truck drivers for granted when things are normal," Todd Jadin, vice president of talent development and association relations for Schneider trucking company, USA Today said. "The work they do every day is that much more important right now."

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