Come Thursday, most Americans will gather ’round a family table and tuck into a traditional Thanksgiving feast and most likely nod off into a carbohydrate-induced coma for a couple of hours.
Boise Stage Stop serves free Thanksgiving dinner to truckersBut, for many of the trucking industry’s drivers, Thursday is another day on the road and another family holiday with an empty chair at the table. However, it does not mean truckers will have to go without a traditional hot meal of turkey, stuffing, and more trimmings than you can shake a drumstick at.
There are truck stops that are filling driver bellies for free on Thanksgiving. And, there are volunteers who are once again ensuring truckers have a holiday meal.
Several truck stops feed drivers for free
As they have in the past, several truck stops will be giving truckers free meals on Thanksgiving. Among those feeding truckers for free are:
- Boise Stage Stop of Interstate 84 at23801 S. Orchard Access Rd. Boise, Idaho 83716 holds its 13th annual Driver Appreciation Day. Just show a valid CDL.
- The Greater Chicago I-55 Truck Plaza will offer a free turkey dinner to customers with a valid CDL from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The I-55 Truck Plaza is located at 510 South Bolingbrook Drive in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
- The Cowboy Cafe in Lyman, Wyoming is serving a free Thanksgiving dinner to truckers Wednesday, Nov. 27. The cafe is located at Exit 41 off Interstate 80. The cafe is closed on Thanksgiving.
Free dinner in Joplin, Missouri
Charlie Clark will serve a free Thanksgiving dinner to hungry truckers Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 4 State Trucks, 4579 MO-43, Joplin, Missouri 64804. Clark said he will also deliver to a trucker stuck at a shipper/receiver in the area.
Meals for 18 Wheels delivers dinners once again
An online network of volunteers is making sure truckers hauling during Thanksgiving can still enjoy a hot plate of holiday food.
Meals for 18 Wheels delivers meals to truckers in need throughout the year. The group makes a seasonal effort every Thanksgiving to make sure that no trucker in need of a holiday meal goes without one.
Closer to Thanksgiving, the group will post a sign-up on its Facebook page. Drivers will submit their location and how long they expect to be at that location. Nearby volunteers are then put in touch with the drivers so that they may deliver them a hot plate of food.
Drivers interested in connecting with a Meals for 18 Wheels volunteer for a Thanksgiving dinner plate should keep an eye on the organization’s Facebook page.
“We do this every year in hopes of bringing a little bit of home to drivers who are unable to go home to their families,” the group has previously posted. “Everyone is welcome to participate even if we’ve recently helped you.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can also sign up through the group’s Facebook page.
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If you know of any other truck stops or organizations serving fee Thanksgiving meals to truckers, add them to the comments section below.
