BROWNSVILLE, Texas (September 8, 2025) —Truck drivers at the Port of Brownsville are a vital link moving goods from vessels to businesses across Texas and the nation, keeping commerce and industry thriving.
This month, the Port of Brownsville will join the American Trucking Associations in celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which runs from September 14-20.
According to the American Trucking Associations, truck drivers safely transport more than 11 billion tons of goods and products every year, which accounts for nearly 73% of America’s total annual freight. Eighty percent of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking to deliver goods.
In 2024 alone, the port recorded 450,000 truck movements, transporting essential goods for industries such as steel, shipbuilding, wind energy, and others.
The port’s educational partners, including Texas State Technical College (TSTC), Texas Southmost College, and Texas A&M, develop and implement programs that train the regional workforce to meet the growing demands for skilled jobs.
“Without truck drivers, America stops,” said Juan Hernandez, lead instructor at TSTC’s Professional Driving Academy in Harlingen. “They are the ones who move the goods from the ships and warehouses at the port to where they need to go across Texas and the United States.”
Hernandez knows the industry firsthand. Before becoming an instructor, he spent eight years driving across 48 states and Canada.
Since 2014, he has been training new drivers at TSTC, where students undergo 160 hours of coursework to earn a Commercial Driver License (CDL) and certification of completion. Each year, between 150 and 200 students graduate from the program, many moving on to serve local industries or begin careers on the road.
The demand for truck drivers continues to grow nationwide, with a persistent shortage across the U.S. Hernandez sees his graduates as a direct response to that need, especially in a region as economically interconnected as the Valley.
The Port of Brownsville, the only deepwater seaport on the U.S. -Mexico border, plays a critical role in importing and exporting goods, many of which move to market by truck. From steel mills and shipyards, construction and wind energy, nearly every major industry at the port depends on drivers to move their products.
As the Port of Brownsville grows, so does the need for skilled drivers. Truck Driver Appreciation Week shines a spotlight on the men and women behind the wheel making an impact in our communities.
“The port relies on truck drivers, and so does the entire Valley,” Hernandez said. “They are the backbone of trade here.”
Truck drivers are essential to the Port of Brownsville’s comprehensive logistics network. In 2024, the port recorded more than 450,000 truck movements. These trucks transported petroleum products, sugar, salt, bulk cargo, aluminum, windmill components and steel, supporting the backbone of several U.S. industries.
