DOT Secretary Applauds Drivers during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Danielle Jackson

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Norman Y. Mineta recognized the safety, security and economic contributions of the nation’s truck drivers as the 2002 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week kicked-off on August 18.

In 2001, the trucking industry set the best safety record since the DOT first recorded statistics in 1975. Fatalities in crashes involving large trucks dropped from 5,282 in 2000 to 5,082 in 2001, a 3.8 percent decrease, the DOT says. Also, as part of the country’s anti-terrorism campaign, approximately 3 million truck drivers are being or have been trained to recognize and report suspicious activities that may be threats to national security.