BLACKSTONE, Va. -- Truck drivers across the country are getting well-deserved recognition this as part of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
Durby Wilson, the owner of CB Wilson Transport, started driving a truck 12 years ago at just 19 years old.
"It's an adventure at every corner, every turn," Wilson said. "So that's what brought me into it is the people, growing up around truck drivers, and just the joy of the accomplishment of moving product from point A to point B safely and in a timely manner."
The Blackstone man said the industry has come a long way over the past decade.
When the 31-year-old started driving, he said pay was around $800 to $900 a week, and drivers had to be away from their families at night.
Now, Wilson said his drivers make between $1,000 to $1,300 a week, and some drivers even earn $2,000.
There's also flexibility.
"You can get some really good careers where you're home every night, doing certain routes," he said. "And a lot of people are you know worried about driving at night. Well, there are a lot of day shift positions as well for truck drivers."
According to Business Insider, if all trucks were to stop, within three days, grocery store shelves would be empty, gas stations wouldn't have any gas and ATMs would run out of cash.
"If you see a truck driver, thank them," said Wilson. "Not just on Truck Driver Appreciation Week, but any day of the week. They're very vital. They're not just slow-moving, big-moving pieces of equipment on the road. They are actually supplying your needs that you use on a daily basis, so they are very vital to the U.S. economy and to the world."
Wilson also encouraged young men and women who are looking to get paid to see the world to try out the trucking industry.
"I come across very many young individuals that ask me about going into the industry, and I might run into them two years later, and they're still thinking about it," said Wilson. "And so I encourage anybody out there that has it in the back of their mind that they're wanting to pursue trucking, go and do it while you're young."
Wilson also spends his free time speaking at "Share the Road" events throughout Central Virginia, educating young drivers about the importance of safe driving.
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