On Thursday, millions of Americans will be sitting down with friends and family to enjoy turkey and dressing with all the trimmings. They will laugh and tell jokes as they pass the cranberry sauce around the table for the fifth time. They will gorge themselves while retelling the same traditional family stories they’ve told for countless Thanksgivings.
As the afternoon drifts by, something will nudge them. Tug at their heart strings. They will pass it off as the feeling of love and peace of being with family and will count their blessings. They may not even realize specifically that they are thankful for you. Yes you.
America is grateful to Prime for what they have and enjoy in life. They just may not quite realize it. They just don’t see that you’ll be away from your family in some truck stop greasy spoon on that day so they can enjoy the day with theirs. Nor do they realize the treacherous snow storm you inched through so their Idaho potatoes could be mashed and served up with gravy.
Americans don’t realize how stressful it is for fleet managers and dispatchers who move Heaven and earth to connect trucks with loads and keep us rolling. They don’t understand the hundreds of calls each day you field, and how you put out fires on each of them. But they really can’t help it. They’re focused on the green beans and pumpkin pie.
Between pushing away from the table and going back for thirds, folks across this land won’t give a thought to the Road Assist Team who rescues drivers who are stranded on the side of the road at 2am. They move on to turkey sandwiches completely unaware that in order for them to have the delicious meat, a Prime mechanic had to be up to his elbows in grease getting that truck rolling again.
No, America will just enjoy the holiday basking in the tradition, the joy, love, fun and peace of one of our greatest national holidays. But we all know who is responsible for Thanksgiving. It is the dedicated men and women of Prime—in every department—who use every ounce of energy and skill to deliver the apples for the pies, the hams and yams and even the tires on the cars that take them over the river and through the woods when it’s to grandmother’s house they go.
So please allow me to be their mouthpiece today. On behalf of a grateful nation, I want to thank each and every person at Prime for making Thanksgiving possible for the millions of Americans across our great nation. We know your sacrifice and we are grateful for your devotion. You, fellow Prime-ates, are what—no, WHO—makes America GREAT!
May you and your families enjoy the fruits of YOUR labor this Thanksgiving… and always!
Written by Reba J. Hoffman
Reba J. Hoffman joined Prime in 2014 after spending a year riding her bicycle alone around the country helping women victims of violent assault. She left Prime in early 2016 and recently joined back this Fall. A therapist by trade, Reba uses her understanding of people and how they tick to help them live their dream of being a trucker by serving as a CDL Instructor. When out of her truck, you’ll find her somewhere in the wilds of nature.
