MOUNT PEARL, NL– In addition to whatever they stop for in the first place, truckers pulling in to Donovan’s Irving near St. John’s today are receiving an extra surprise: A free barbequed lunch and a lootbag full of stuff, courtesy of  event sponsors.

The reason: Today is Trucker Appreciation Day. And in Mount Pearl NL, that means the Trucking Human Resource Sector Council Atlantic is hosting a party, at the truck stop.

Annual Trucker Appreciation Days happen in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Some of these events have seen up to 300 drivers recognized.

“Many people don’t realize that most of the items we buy and use every day get to the store shelf by truck,” said Kelly Henderson, Executive Director of the Council, who was on hand on The Rock for the fun.

“These drivers spend countless hours behind the wheel and it’s important that we show our appreciation.” The loot bag

“This day,” said Henderson, “is about industry partners coming together in different regions of Atlantic Canada to have a chat and say thank you to our professional drivers; something we can never do enough of.”