The Essentials: #ThankATrucker

Essential.

It’s the word people have come to use when describing truck drivers — the men and women who remain on the job during these days of Covid-19. They’re the ones who keep food on our shelves, masks in our hospitals, fuel in our cars.

These are vital supplies. Essential supplies.

While most Canadians are told to shelter in place, to stay at home, to close the doors and “flatten the curve,” society asks truck drivers to answer the call. To climb back behind the wheel. To hook up, head out, deliver and repeat. Day, and night.

The work has to be done. It’s essential work.

As Canada and the U.S. close our shared border in the fight against this virus, the trucks continue to roll. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured the nation that – in his words — “truckers will not be affected.”

It’s because Canada relies on these services. These essential services.

Oh, the job will not be easy.

But the job of a truck driver has never been easy.

The 300,000 Canadians who do this work, who drive every manner of truck, know this very well. They keep on the move so Canada can keep on the move. Under all conditions. In all weather. Just in time. All the time.

The work is simply too essential to leave undone.

We will all emerge from the fight against Covid-19. But when this particular fight is over, we should try a little harder to recognize the work of those who always do the jobs that need to be done.

We’ll need to remind everyone to thank a trucker.

It’s essential.