Frank Borman is a name many of you will recognize. He was among the crew of astronauts to first circle the moon as the United States explored what lies beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Becoming an astronaut is no easy task. It takes guts, brains, hard work and the willingness to take big risks.

Sounds a lot like ranching. Frank Borman knows this because he is now a rancher in eastern Montana, not a particularly easy place to run a ranch.

I had the honor of meeting Frank earlier this year, as he and his son Fred, who runs the ranch, farm and feedlot that make up the operation, were shipping calves. Frank stopped in to see how things were going, but he didn’t spend much time in the scale house. If you wanted to catch Frank, you were best advised to head toward the line of cattle trucks waiting to be loaded. He’d be down there, talking with the truck drivers.

Frank Borman appreciates and respects the people who make America great; the people who put in the hours and the hard work to keep this great country running on all cylinders. And that’s why, every time they ship, you’ll find him visiting with the truck drivers.

“They’re great Americans,” he told me. “Most of them are young, trying to earn enough money so they can live their vision of the American dream.”

Related: BQA Master Cattle Transportation program

Question: Have you hugged a truck driver today? OK, maybe that’s asking a bit much. But have you taken the time, when it was offered, to thank those who help keep America great?

Imagined life without trucks. How close is the nearest sale barn or feedyard? Pack the chuckwagon for the trip, because you’ll be herding your cattle a long way. How about buying groceries, gas or anything else?

Indeed, America runs on trucks and without trucks running, life as we know it would pretty much come to a standstill.

Sept. 10-16 is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. That’s a perfect time to thank a truck driver for all he or she does to make our lives comfortable.

But don’t stop there. Be like Frank.