Being the time of year that I like to be at home celebrating Christmas with my family, I am always drawn into the thought of my fellow brothers and sisters of the road that can’t get home for the holidays. I remember much earlier in my career the same scenario when I was running all 48-states over-the-road. Although some truck stops really try to make it as cheery and special as they possibly can be for a driver stuck at their travel plaza on Christmas, in my eyes it was still never quite the same.
There are many reasons for a trucker working through this time of year. Sometimes it is out of necessity and other times it is just not getting the right load at the right time. The time I was out for Christmas was because dispatch could not route me through home in time to celebrate, but knowing it was part of my livelihood, I just had a little sob and celebrated late that year. Almost like a horrible right-of-passage in a way, this time in the first year of my career was a small glimpse into the sacrifice many truckers go through that have this happen.
If this is the case and you are out on the road working through this time of year, know that on this Eve of Christmas, you are being thought of in our celebration! My wife and I often talk about how important it is to instill in our young girls the importance of truck drivers when we celebrate this holiday, as well as the sacrifice many of them make to be able to call themselves by that job title. After all, without truck drivers none of the gifts, food, Christmas trees (real or artificial), or even gas to get from one relative's house to another would be available! My family and I offer our deepest thanks to you for being out there this week and continuing to haul the loads that keep our country moving forward and for your personal sacrifice of being away from loved ones.
In our deepest heartfelt wishes, we hope the truckers still out there during the holidays have a safe trip home soon to rejoice in some well-earned time off with your loved ones. From our home to your home (or cab), We would like to wish you a very happy and safe holiday season out there and thank you once again for all you do!