This week, we are celebrating our heroes of the road—our drivers!

While we are grateful for our professional drivers every day, this week, we take time to show appreciation to all drivers who sacrifice daily and help keep our country running. National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is the perfect time to say "thank you" to these individuals who spend countless hours behind the wheel, ensuring that life as we know it runs smoothly.

Our drivers do so much more than navigate roads—they make split-second decisions, manage heavy loads, prioritize safety and maintain focus over long stretches of time, all while ensuring our safety and the timely delivery of everything we rely on. Their resilience, skill, and dedication deserve to be celebrated every day!

Check out the highlights from our 2024 Truck Driver Appreciation Week below!

2024 Maverick Driver Appreciation Week Video

Here are some highlights of our celebrations with Maverick drivers this week!

As National Truck Driver Appreciation Week wraps up, let's remember that our gratitude shouldn't stop here. Every truck we see on the road is a reminder of the hard work drivers put in every day to keep our lives moving.

Navigating the road isn’t just following signs and signals—it's making countless decisions each day even before the ignition is turned on. From choosing the best route to gauging the speed of oncoming traffic, our professional drivers are faced with a myriad of split-second decisions each time they get behind the wheel.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the decisions and challenges that shape our drivers’ minds. Each decision they make on the road requires a unique blend of safety knowledge, situational awareness, judgment, and instinct. We spoke with 2022 Trainer of the Year and 2020 Driver of the Year, TJ Hargis, to explore his thoughts and reactions and what it means to be a professional driver today.

• Safety Awareness: “Safety awareness covers a broad scope of things from the time you wake up until you go to bed. Everything we do, we must be aware of the hazards. Whether you’re getting in and out of the truck, walking across an icy parking lot, on the deck of your trailer, etc. We have to be a defensive driver not an offensive one. We must consider everything going around us, so we have time to react to it. For example, if you hard brake in a normal car, you may slide a few feet, in a truck it’s much worse. As drivers, we are constantly assessing road conditions, weather, and potential hazards to ensure our safety and the safety of others. Driving in inclement weather is tricky. We have a multitude of weather applications to assist with audible warnings to us. Maverick is great about giving us a heads up about major events. We have to be aware of where we’re going and what weather to expect. Additionally, our field of vision is less when the weather is not ideal. I keep my head on a swivel so I can be proactive not reactive.”

• Time Management: "It is important that I make sure I optimize the use of my time based on delivery options while not compromising my driving and safety.”

• Route Planning: “Over time, routes and roads tend to stick around in my head. Technology and my printed atlas are so very helpful when planning my trips out. I must make sure all roads are truck legal while also being efficient.”

• Stress Management: “I try not to let anything truly bother me. I may get frustrated, but it’s never something that I let get to me. I can’t control what other people do, but I can watch out for them and control how I react. I do mirror checks all day long to watch the traffic around me.”

• Family and Home: “From the time I leave my house, I am managing my time to set myself up to be home as soon as I can that weekend. Proper time planning and pushing myself ensures I get optimal home time with my family. I work very hard to not waste time. I want to get every mile I can.”

• Advice to non-drivers: "Please give us common courtesy. If you see a blinker, we’ve seen something that urged us to change lanes. We’re trying to get somewhere in a timely manner and are trying to maintain consistency and safety. We are constantly watching out for you.”

Listed below are additional things that our professional drivers must think about daily while out on the road:

• Emergency Preparedness: Being ready to react to unexpected events, such as vehicle malfunctions, accidents, or road blockages, with a calm approach.

• Vehicle Handling: Monitoring the vehicle’s performance, including checking fuel levels, tire pressure, and the functionality of essential systems like brakes, trailer lights and steering.

• Situational Awareness: Keeping an eye on surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and any sudden changes in traffic flow.

• Regulatory Compliance: Staying aware of and adhering to traffic laws, weight limits, and any industry-specific regulations.

It’s clear that behind each professional driver, there are hundreds of decisions being made to ensure your safety, the safety of others and theirs. Driving a truck demands a constant state of awareness that most of us can’t comprehend. So, the next time you buckle up, remember the decisions you're making and observe the magnitude of responsibility these professional drivers hold.

Honoring excellence is a long-held tradition at Maverick Transportation and our road trainers are no exception. In our world of professional drivers, our 2024 Trainer of the Year stands out for his dedication to safety, extensive industry knowledge and the ability to help others develop their professional driving skills.

Meet Lonnie Johnson, Maverick Transportation’s 2024 Trainer of the Year!

From his entrance into this industry to now being a top road trainer, Lonnie, a 19-year Maverick veteran, has trained more than 60 students to date. We interviewed him this week and wanted to provide you all with the opportunity to get to know him a bit more.

• When did you decide to become a road trainer? - "I decided to become a road trainer after discussing it with my fleet manager in 2016.”

• What is your favorite aspect of being a road trainer? - “I really enjoy helping young people make their dreams come true and mentoring. After raising 4 children, I can definitely be a resource for these students along the way. I still speak with a lot of my students weekly!”

• What is your best piece of advice to new drivers in this industry? - "Don’t quit, no matter how hard it gets. Stay with it. Learning anything new is difficult but stay with it.”

• Why have you stayed with Maverick for 19 years? - “Maverick is safe, and they are better than any other out there. These people are so kind and understanding and you’re never a number. They know my name and my pay has always been great. Maverick gets you home and things here just keep getting better and better. Lastly, Maverick recognizes our drivers and helps us solve problems when we run into them.”

• How does it feel to be named Trainer of the Year? - This means so much to me. Maverick helped me make a better life for my kids and I love it here. I was even able to buy a house working here! This place is a family.

As we celebrate Lonnie’s achievements, we also highlight the vital role that our talented road trainers play here at Maverick and within our industry. We are excited to witness the continued impact that they have on future growth here at Maverick.

Congratulations once again to Lonnie Johnson, our 2024 Trainer of the Year and all our trainer finalists!

Entering the trucking industry as a new driver is an exciting and challenging journey. Whether you’re fresh out of trucking school or transitioning from another career, the road ahead can be daunting. Here at Maverick, we WILL do all that we can to properly educate and prepare you as you navigate your new career with confidence and professio