Trucker Life · Nationwide · November 13, 2026

OOIDA's Truckers For Troops Drive Runs Through Nov. 15 to Send Care Packages to Service Members

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Truckers are helping send care packages to service members, and an Army veteran who works on the effort says a box with a soldier's name on it can feel like a lifeline. The program is Truckers For Troops, run by OOIDA, the association that represents owner-operators, Land Line reports.

How it works this year

OOIDA is the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
Through Nov. 15, a new or renewed OOIDA membership costs $35. Ten percent of that fee goes to Truckers For Troops, and the association matches it dollar for dollar.

The program has been running for nearly 20 years. Nearly 40% of the association's members are military veterans.

What it means

An Army veteran who works at the association said some service members have no family sending them anything, so a package with their name on it means a great deal.

"It means someone still cares," she said. "It's a lifeline."

A Coast Guard veteran who now runs her own truck said there is an instant bond when one veteran spots another out trucking.

Why it matters to truckers

The drive is one way truckers who already belong to OOIDA, or are thinking of joining, can help troops far from home before Nov. 15. Truckers know better than most what it is like to spend long stretches away. Veterans are a big part of trucking, as this week's commitment to hire 13,000 veterans showed.

Quick facts

• Program: Truckers For Troops, nearly 20 years running.
• Deadline: Nov. 15.
• Membership cost during the drive: $35, new or renewed.
• Share to the program: 10% of each fee, matched dollar for dollar.
• Members who are military veterans: nearly 40%.

A question for readers

Truckers, did you ever get a care package that meant more than anyone back home realized?

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