Memorial Day, which falls on May 25th this year, became a federal holiday in 1971. It was enacted by Congress in order to honor men and women who died while serving in our nation's military. Across the U.S., people celebrate Memorial Day in different ways, from barbecues to parades. There are many ways the trucking community celebrates Memorial Day and honors fallen soldiers as well.
One company, TQL, each year donates a portion of every load they arrange throughout a certain week in May (this year it's May 11 - 17) to an organization called the Yellow Ribbon Support Center. This foundation was started by the parents of fallen soldier, Matt Maupin, after he was captured in Iraq. This fundraising campaign, now called Hauls for Heroes, contributes to Yellow Ribbon Support Center and has raised more than $72,000 since 2009. Learn more here.
Trucking companies have other creative ways of honoring our fallen heroes. Last year, Volvo and Mack honored fallen soldiers for Memorial Day by designing custom trucks, and then having these trucks participate in a Memorial Day rally that started at their respective locations in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, and ended at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. You can view these incredible truck wraps here.
Professional Driver was on GIjobs.com's 2015 list of Top 20 Hot Jobs for Veterans, specifically big rigs. This industry heavily caters to veterans, especially since the passing of the Military Commercial Driver's License Act of 2012, which allows veterans to pursue trucking jobs straight out of the service. The law allows active duty military personnel to obtain a CDL in either the state where they serve or received their military training, regardless of whether it is their state of permanent residence. It also allows CDLs to be issued to active duty military personnel. Needless to say, honoring fallen soldiers is very important to the people who work in the trucking industry. After all, many of them are veterans, and even personally knew someone who lost their life in the line of duty.
Before we go, we want to mention that we at SWTDT also want to serve those who have served, which is why we created www.swtdtveterans.com. As Memorial Day approaches, we honor and remember these fallen heroes. Our hearts and thoughts are also with the families of these men and women, and we express our gratitude.
How will you honor these men and women this Memorial Day?
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