Ralph Garcia, a driver with ABF Freight System Inc. and a member of America’s Road Team, told Obama administration officials about the rewards and challenges of a career in trucking during a White House forum as part of National Transportation Week.

“It was an honor to be invited to the White House to promote something I believe in so strongly – the importance of the trucking industry,” Garcia, a native of Rio Rancho, N.M., said following the forum.

Garcia was one of 20 transportation professionals who participated in the May 16 White House “Champions of Change” roundtable that focused on how best to promote careers in transportation.

“There’s no better way to earn a living than behind the wheel as a professional driver,” Garcia said. “In my 30 years as a driver, I’ve seen so much of this great country that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to experience.”

The government, Garcia said, could do more to encourage Americans to explore a career, or remain, in the trucking industry.