QUEBEC, Que. — Quebec Transport Minister Yvon Marcoux marked National Trucking Week by pointing to the contribution trucking makes to the Canadian economy.

“The transportation of products and materials that we produce and consume constitutes an important part of our economy,” Marcoux said Monday. “Truck transport plays an essential role in our day-to-day lives and in the health and well-being of thousands of Quebec businesses. We should definitely take the opportunity to give due recognition to the important contribution trucking makes to our society.

“Day after day, truckers drive millions of kilometres to make sure we get the essentials that are vital to Quebec’s socioeconomic well-being. It’s in part thanks to the trucking industry that our businesses and their products have so successfully penetrated the North American market.”

The minister also pointed to the growth the trucking industry has seen over the last few years, which has helped create and sustain thousands of jobs.

The trucking industry is also responsible for ensuring the transport of 65 per cent of the merchandise exported to the U.S., Marcoux pointed out.

Marcoux took the opportunity to congratulate trucking industry professionals and thank them for their contributions. He pointed out the number of highway accidents involving heavy duty trucks have decreased by 20 per cent over the last ten years, and called the industry’s efforts to make roads safer “significant.”