ALEXANDRIA, Va.—In recognition of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, convenience retailers across the country are celebrating truck drivers.

York, Pennsylvania-based Rutter’s is offering a free meal to truck drivers from Sunday, September 11 through Saturday, September 17.

Truck drivers signed up with Rutter’s VIP Rewards are eligible to receive a free meal, which includes any sandwich, a regular coffee or fountain beverage and a regular order of hashbrowns or fries throughout the week.

“National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is the perfect time to honor and thank all of our hard-working drivers who dedicate their life to the road. Rutter’s values and respects the contributions of their drivers and is happy to honor them throughout the week,” said Rutter’s in a statement.

The offer is valid for a one-time use for eligible Rutter’s VIP Rewards customers.

Meanwhile, RaceTrac is turning National Truck Driver Appreciation Week into a month-long celebration and offering several perks exclusively for truck drivers at its travel center and Expanded Diesel Offer stores during September.

“We see Truck Driver Appreciation Week as a great opportunity to recognize the people who dedicate so many hours on the road to delivering the goods we depend on daily,” said Mark Reese, vice president of store support at RaceTrac. “As a business, RaceTrac relies on truck drivers not only to supply our store with fuel and products but also as valued customers who stop in to fill up with us. We believe it’s important to show thanks for the hard work these drivers give, day in and day out.”

Truck drivers can participate in the RaceTrac Rewards app to receive exclusive Truck Driver Appreciation promotions from now through September 30, including earning two times the points on in-store purchases. Additionally, all drivers at RaceTrac travel centers and EDO stores can purchase a 20-ounce Coca-Cola and receive a fresh sub sandwich for $3—a 30% savings from the regular price.

During Truck Driver Appreciation Week, RaceTrac will host in-store events and giveaways:

• Lynco Products will host daily free item and coupon giveaways at various travel centers, including one grand prize giveaway for Bluetooth headphones. Guests can check rttruckdrivers.com for specific dates and location information.
• Truck drivers will have access to a free massage station at the Forest Park store in Forest Park, Georgia on September 13, from 12 to 6 p.m.
• On September 14, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs is sponsoring a free hot dog from 1 to 2 p.m. at all RaceTrac travel centers.

During its month-long recognition of truck drivers, RaceTrac is also supporting and raising awareness of Truckers Emergency Assistance Responders (T.E.A.R.) nonprofit organization. T.E.A.R. was founded by three truck drivers in 2019 to help fellow truck drivers who were stranded on the road and unable to get home with their belongings. The organization now serves as a relief fund that provides immediate assistance to truck drivers in distress. Donations to T.E.A.R. can be made at www.cdltear.org.

“I think that as an industry we’re all in this together,” said Desiree Wood, president of T.E.A.R. “We all do this same thing no matter if you’re a flatbed, if you’re a tanker, whatever you’re doing we still do this together. It keeps the country running.”

Sheetz is celebrating Truck Driver Appreciation week by offering a discount on diesel from now through September 30. The discounted price will be $4.49 a gallon and will be available at all Sheetz locations that sell the fuel.

Truck drivers will also receive a free meal at Sheetz, which includes a half sub, bag of fries and any size self-serve coffee or fountain soda. The free meal promo will be offered beginning Sunday, September 11 and will run through the end of the month.

TravelCenters of America will honor professional drivers during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week with discounts, prize opportunities and giveaways.

Additionally, TA will host the Truckers Against Trafficking Freedom Drivers Project with Bridgestone Tires at TA Knoxville, Tennessee, on September 13, and an event with Arkansas Trucking Association at Petro North Little Rock, Arkansas on September 15.

Love’s Travel Stops is celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week throughout September. The company is giving away 23.5 million My Love Rewards points (worth more than $230,000) to professional truck drivers during the month, including hundreds of daily and weekly winners and a one-million-point winner at the end of the month.

In honor of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Pilot Company is extending its annual celebration for professional truck drivers who go above and beyond to keep America moving. To further recognize and thank these hero haulers, Pilot Company's Driver Appreciation kicked off on September 1 and will last through October 31 with two months of exclusive offers, more points and events for professional drivers.

The 2022 NACS Show, October 1-4, in Las Vegas includes four education sessions on marketing: Build a Better Brand, Creating Fans of the Brand: Your Social Media Strategy, Benchmarking to Improve Loyalty Outcomes: Lessons from PDI and Coen Markets and Supercharge Your App.