(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is recognizing National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Sept. 8-14.

At weigh stations in Anchorage and Fairbanks, DOT&PF’s Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Compliance (MSCVC) officers made a special effort to greet truck drivers and thank them for their service.

According to the American Trucking Association, National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is a week in which the trucking industry joins together to thank the 3.5 million professional truck drivers that are the heart of the nation’s economy. Every day these dedicated professional men and women transport America’s goods and services safely, protected and on time, while most importantly keeping our highways safe.

The Alaska Trucking Association emphasizes that trucking drives our economy. In Alaska, there are 12,680 trucking industry job, that’s one in 19 jobs in the state and 2,740 trucking companies located in Alaska. 94% of Alaska communities depend on trucking to receive their goods and 73% of total manufactured tonnage is transported by trucks in the state. As the saying goes, “If you got it, a truck brought it.”

MSCVC works with Alaskan truck drivers to focus on safety with the goal of reducing the number of commercial motor vehicles related to crashes and fatalities in Alaska. A transportation system that is safe, reliable, and efficient provides a foundation for economic prosperity. To ensure safe transportation, MSCVC inspects cargo and passenger carrying commercial motor vehicles. To preserve public infrastructure, MSCVC issues oversize and overweight permits and publishes weight restrictions.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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