OTTAWA — Each year a spotlight is cast on the men and women that keep this country moving, and this year the spotlight of National Trucking Week will be Sept. 6 – 13.

Trucking in Canada is a $67 billion industry and employs more than 200,000 truck drivers. Trucks move 90 percent of all consumer products and foodstuffs within Canada and almost two thirds, by value, of our trade with the U.S., our nation’s largest trading partner.

"Each year the week provides an opportunity to pause and consider the enormous reliance all Canadians have upon truck transportation,” says David Bradley, CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. “It is undeniable that trucking is vital to our Canadian economy and touches the lives of every Canadian. The reality is whether a shipment needs to go from coast to coast or around the corner, it more than likely will travel by truck. We salute the people of the trucking industry, whether they work behind the scenes or over the road, which are the backbone of the Canadian economy."

The week also serves as a platform to enable the country’s trucking associations to deliver important information to the community about the vital role of the trucking industry and how all road users can be partners in safety. The date of this annual week is set each year by the CTA in cooperation with the country’s seven provincial trucking associations.

For more about National Trucking Week and a list of celebration ideas, visit the CTA website at www.cantruck.ca.