[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                NATIONAL TRUCK DRIVER APPRECIATION WEEK

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I hope Americans will take 
time during the week of August 9 to note the accomplishments and 
contributions that truck drivers and the trucking industry have made to 
our lives and the prosperity of the American economy.
  Consider:
  From 1986 to 1996, the fatality rate for large trucks fell by 35 
percent, while large truck mileage increased by 40 percent. The 
trucking industry employs nearly 9.5 million Americans. More than 
423,000 companies in the United States are involved in trucking. In 
1996 the trucking industry generated $346 billion in gross revenues, 
hauling 6.5 billion tons of freight. Incidentally, that represents 82 
percent of the Nation's freight bill.
  I encourage everyone to celebrate the great safety record and the 
contribution to our well-being of America's truckers by making August 9 
to August 15 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.

                          ____________________