by Joseph Langeneckert

Created on: July 14, 2010

Most of America's biggest corporations would be brought to their knees if there was no way to transport goods relatively quickly and cheaply. Semi-trucks make America's "need-it-now" mentality sustainable.

American truck drivers deliver groceries, clothing, raw materials and even weapons that would have no other means of getting to their destination on time. Without truckers the American way of life (for better or for worse) would cease to exist. Having truck drivers delivering their loads every day of the year (especially holidays) means we only have to drive (or walk) a short distance to get what we need. Americans would have to make round-trips to ports, warehouses, factories or hunt for their food if truckers stopped making deliveries.

A lot of people who have a severe dislike or even hate for semi-trucks and the ones driving them don't truly understand the importance of the job. They make judgments on the ones driving them and make the job more stressful than it needs to be. The fact is that the men and women who make truck driving their life make huge sacrifices in their social lives. Many of these truck drivers have families they don't see for weeks, sometimes months on end. Sometimes they take their families with them on the road but often time's children won't see their loved one for many weeks. It's often said that truck driving isn't a job, it's a lifestyle. It's like no other job and is far from being easy. We should be grateful to these men and women who make our way of life possible while sacrificing some of their own.

The most common complaint is that these behemoths are major polluters; after all, getting between 5 to 6 miles per gallon pollutes more than a Prius. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge supporter of the "save the planet" fad that's happening. In fact, I was "green" back when Clinton was fooling around in the White House. The problem I see is that we don't have any other options at this point to maintain America's insatiable need for goods. Do you? If you do know a solution please leave a comment. Scratch that... Start a business and overthrow the status quo!

So before you curse that truck driver for making your trip 30 seconds longer or make an ignorant comment about the driver, think of how your way of life depends on their job.

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