For the third consecutive year, the Port of Brownsville joins the entire U.S. trucking industry in celebration of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Sept. 9-14.

The event highlights the efforts of professional truck drivers who deliver the nation’s freight safely and securely every day. In 2017, the Port of Brownsville recorded more than 300,000 truck movements at the port.

According to the American Trucking Association, there are more than 3.5 million professional truck drivers nationwide. These professionals log more than 273 billion miles annually. In 2016, they delivered nearly 70 percent of the U.S. freight tonnage – or 10.55 billion tons. That same year, the trucking industry was a $738.9 billion industry, representing 81.5 percent of the nation’s freight bill.