Each September, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week shines a spotlight on the men and women who keep America’s supply chains moving. Food manufacturers, retailers and distributors with private fleets often go beyond words of thanks and show genuine appreciation for the drivers who deliver fresh products, keep shelves stocked, and ensure that families have access to the essentials they rely on every day.
This week, Sept. 14-20, 2025, is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Companies celebrate in a variety of ways—hosting cookouts, serving hot meals, and organizing appreciation events at distribution centers and terminals. Many provide small gifts such as safety gear, company-branded apparel, or gift cards, while others recognize drivers through awards, shout-outs in company newsletters, and personalized thank-you messages from leadership.
For example, last year Walmart celebrated its private fleet drivers and maintenance technicians during the week by highlighting driver safety, mentorship and service milestones. Tyson Foods in 2023 launched “Tyson Foods Celebrates Our Truck Drivers” to recognize its drivers by sharing stories and social media posts highlighting their critical role in getting food from farm to table.
Some private fleets also use the week to highlight safety milestones, showcase driver stories, or engage local communities through charitable donations and food drives in honor of their drivers. Beyond the festivities, the week serves as a reminder of the critical role drivers play not only in logistics but also in customer satisfaction and brand trust.
Many motor carriers and third-party logistics companies that serve the food industry also recognize their professional truck drivers in similar ways.
“We have an annual award program that recognizes our top carriers in a variety of categories,” says Eubanks. “Then, specific to National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, we send gift baskets to our top 25 carriers. We’re doing special shout-outs in our social media and will just be recognizing the impact that truckers have on keeping the world moving. We are asking for pictures from our recipients that we’d be happy to share if we can get permission.”
She outlines a few things that Heyl does to show appreciation to their professional drivers:
J.S. Helwig & Son is an asset-only, refrigerated truckload carrier exclusively focused in the food & beverage industry. With nearly 400 professional company drivers, Helwig ensures every driver is honored and appreciated with catered lunches daily and a duffel bag filled with company swag and thoughtful “travel essentials” that make their time on the road more convenient.
According to Kayla Axe, Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Continental Express, a truckload carrier and full-service logistics company that specializes in temperature-controlled and dedicated-route freight: “This Driver Appreciation Week, we are excited to celebrate our drivers with free meals and Continental Express gear (free t-shirts and hats) at all nine of our terminal locations. In addition to stopping in for some free items, we intentionally use the week to honor our safest drivers by giving out accident-free safety awards and honoring our latest million-mile drivers.”
To continue the theme of showing appreciation for safety, Axe says their drivers are invited to watch a series of safety videos through Driver Appreciation Week to be entered into prize giveaways, with great top prizes like a $500 Amazon gift card, iPads, and TVs.
In addition, each driver will receive a specially prepared goodie bag filled with snacks, practical items, and branded gear. Every driver also will receive a custom company shirt designed specifically for the week. It’s a way for them to wear their pride all year round.
“Truck drivers are some of the hardest working folks out there,” says Vellutini. “To show our gratitude, we are giving out Driver Appreciation T-shirts, handwritten thank you notes, daily snacks and water, daily raffle prizes and a BBQ lunch on Friday.”
“At LST Group, we’re proud to take this time each year to recognize the top-performing drivers & carrier partners who help us shine brightest for our customers,” says Thomasson. “These drivers manage daily loads for some of our largest and most demanding partners, and they do it with professionalism, courtesy, and an unmatched level of on-time performance. To show our gratitude, we’re treating several of our top carrier partners and their drivers to pizzas and care packages filled with gift cards and LST swag. This is a small gesture to recognize the big impact they make every day.”
Dave McWilliams, Director of Transportation for ACMD, emphasizes that drivers truly are the backbone of this industry, and it’s important to recognize their hard work and dedication. “At Acme, we put a lot of effort into making this week special,” he says. “Each day we do something different to show our appreciation—whether it’s giving out hoodies or shirts, providing lunch, or handing out gift cards, gloves, lunch boxes, or flashlights. We like to get creative in finding ways to remind our drivers that they are the best in the business and truly irreplaceable.”
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