TORONTO, Ont. — Ontario’s trucking industry is gearing up for National Trucking Week September 11 – 17.

National Trucking Week is an annual event held to spotlight the important contributions made by the 400,000 Canadians (over 200,000 in Ontario) who work in the industry. The week also serves as a platform for raising awareness of how to safely share the road with a truck.

“Grocery store shelves are well stocked and the supplies we need for daily living are available when we need them, thanks to the people of the trucking industry,” says OTA Communications Manager, Rebecka Torn. “During National Trucking week we salute the men and women who form the backbone of this vital industry.”

OTA member companies are marking National Trucking Week in a wide variety of ways. Some fleets are saying ‘thanks’ by treating their staff to special breakfasts, lunches or BBQs during the week, while others are presenting commemorative jackets or shirts to their drivers. Still others are holding softball tournaments for the staff and their families, while others have taken out high-profile advertisements in their local paper to say “thanks.”

OTA is marking the event this year with the following:

* Newspaper Supplement
OTA is preparing a newspaper supplement about the trucking industry for inclusion with the Globe and Mail (Ontario edition) during the week prior to National Trucking Week.

* Road Sharing Video Giveaway
To further raise awareness of the importance of road sharing among all road users, OTA is distributing free copies of the video Sharing the Road with Trucks to the first 1,000 people who call or email the OTA office during National Trucking Week. OTA issues a news advisory to the mainstream media to get the word out about the video’s availability. (One video per Ontario household while supplies last.)

* Billboard
A billboard encouraging motorists to avoid a truck’s blind spots along with an illustration will be display on a billboard located on the roof of the OTA building which is situated in a high traffic.

* Posters and Buttons
Posters and buttons designed to raise awareness of National Trucking Week are being distributed free of charge to OTA member companies (first come, first-served basis).

* Clothing Store Discount Card
Free to OTA members (while supplies last) are discount cards for a popular national work wear clothing store. OTA members can distribute these to their staff.