ATA responds to NYT piece on truck drivers

Excerpt from New York Times opinion pages: Re: “We’re Throwaway People” (news article, May 23): We disagree with the premise of this article — that truck driving is “low paying” and “unhealthy” work. Indeed, trucking is one of the few roads in today’s economy that lead to the middle class without requiring a college degree….

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Excerpt from New York Times opinion pages:

Re: “We’re Throwaway People” (news article, May 23):

We disagree with the premise of this article — that truck driving is “low paying” and “unhealthy” work.

Indeed, trucking is one of the few roads in today’s economy that lead to the middle class without requiring a college degree. For some, being a professional driver is a dream come true. For others, it is a financial lifeline denied by other industries.

What’s certain is that truck driving is a noble profession that provides an essential service to our way of life. If not for our country’s 3.5 million drivers, our economy would come to a grinding halt.

As society grapples with many economic challenges, we must recognize the enormous value that professions like truck driving can deliver, in which a person of modest means can find a sustainable, lifelong career without the burdens of a four-year degree and costly student debt.

CHRIS SPEAR, ARLINGTON, VA.

The writer is president and chief executive of the American Trucking Associations.

See more on this story at the New York Times opinion pages.

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