Five good things that happened in trucking this week – April 2

This week, the trucking industry celebrated April Fool's Day with new paint schemes, blinker fluid, and more. But what trucking doesn't kid about is its commitment to its community and the many ways we can give back. Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week. 

Star-studded line-up revealed for SCF’s virtual Highway to Hope concert

The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) is holding its first-ever virtual benefit concert “Highway to Hope” on Sunday, May 16, from 6-8 p.m. CST. Country music singer Wynonna Judd will headline the concert and will be joined by other country music artists who are known supporters of the trucking industry, including John Schneider, Billy Dean, Lindsay Lawler and Heath Sanders. The event will be hosted by Radio Nemo host Jimmy Mac.

Tickets for the live stream event are available for $20 (plus a $2 transaction fee) on the SCF website at livestream.truckersfund.org, which will also be the site for the live stream. A portion of proceeds from the concert will go directly to the SCF to support truck drivers in need. Individual ticket purchasers in the US will receive a free CD from the NASTC Grand O Trucking Show, which includes Lindsay Lawler and Nashville singer/songwriters featuring music celebrating the trucking industry. Donations can also be made during the live event.

When you purchase a ticket to our Highway to Hope Livestream, you'll ALSO receive a FREE @NASTCTWEETS Grand O Trucking Show album! Purchase your ticket today and join our mission to help Save Lives and Families, One Driver at a Time. https://t.co/5sNRnUedvP 💙 #FeelGoodFriday pic.twitter.com/JgjW296bmb

— Truckers Relief Fund (@truckerfund) April 2, 2021

“The first-ever Highway to Hope benefit concert will be a fun virtual event bringing our industry together, at a time when we are far apart, to raise support for SCF and our highway heroes with amazing artists that want to give back to this industry,” said Shannon Currier, director of philanthropy and development with St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. “We hope you will join us for a night of music and celebration.”

FMCSA’s 2021 Road Safety Art Contest now open to submissions

Everyone on our roads has a responsibility to help keep each other safe. The annual FMCSA Road Safety Art Contest invites students to use their creativity to raise awareness of how to stay safe on the road, particularly when driving, biking, or walking around large trucks and buses. Submissions are now being accepted through June 4.

The contest serves as a collaborative effort between the Our Roads, Our Safety partnership and the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt partnership to raise safety awareness for the commercial truck and bus industries.

Spread the word about road safety in a unique way! The 2021 Road Safety Art Contest is now open—encourage students in kindergarten through 12th grade to submit their work. Get more information and the entry form here: https://t.co/puF1mAjun6 #OurRoads pic.twitter.com/GMYHEA9ELq

— FMCSA (@FMCSA) March 26, 2021

This year, the contest has expanded to include students in grades K-12, with new submission categories including digital art, craft, video, and photography. 

All winners will receive a framed copy of their artwork, and an award certificate. Artwork will also be featured as part of FMCSA’s Winner Announcement Video, Kid Zone and Teen Zone Webpages, and 2022 Road Safety Art Contest Calendar.

Thermo King helped transport homemade desks for local Des Moines students

Woodworking with a Purpose, a nonprofit organization based out of Ankeny, Iowa, builds and provides desks to kids to have their own productive space to learn and grow while schooling at home.

As of March 31, Woodworking with a Purpose has made 1,831 desks for local students. On March 26, Thermo King Corporation in Des Moines helped transport some of those desks to kids in the Des Moines public school district.

Thanks to @ThermoKingCorp Des Moines for helping us with the use of a truck to move a large load of desks for kids in @DMschools pic.twitter.com/A2Unt1EdqO

— Woodworking with a Purpose (@WoodworkPurpose) March 27, 2021

Each desk costs between $25-30 for lumber to build, according to CORE Foundation, a partner of Woodworking with a Purpose.

“We anticipate that there will be a need for desks in our community for some time,” the organization explained. “Even when the schools return to in-person classes, there will still be a strong gap for children to have a place of their own to do their schoolwork instead of the kitchen table or competing with other family members that might still be working from home.”

To support this great cause and help spread the word for children in need, donations can be made here.

Pilot Company offers vaccine incentive to all employees

Pilot Company will offer a one-time $75 incentive to team members who choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The incentive will be available to all Pilot Company hourly team members, professional drivers and general managers in the United States and Canada.

"Our team members and drivers have been on the front lines keeping our travel centers going and the economy moving since the start of the pandemic," said Shameek Konar, Pilot Company CEO. "We are incredibly proud of their dedication to serving our guests and supplying fuel across North America. Now, as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more available, we hope to make it easier for our team members who choose to get vaccinated."

Pilot Company is not mandating any team members to get the vaccine. On the recommendations of federal and state medical experts, Pilot Company encourages team members to get vaccinated based on the advice of their primary care physician.  

Women In Trucking partners with Girl Scouts for a transportation badge

Women In Trucking Association (WIT) teamed up with the Girl Scouts to offer a fun-filled event for young girls to learn about the trucking industry and earn a patch. The events are hosted by members of the WIT association and their local Girl Scout council. The girls are able to participate in fun, hands-on activities related to supply chain, hear from women leaders in the industry, and even climb inside the trucks. Truck driving simulators are sometimes offered at events as well.

As a part of the fun day, two different coloring books that feature fun, educational activities can accompany a Girl Scout event or distribute on its own. Shelby’s Big Rig Day is about a girl who has an opportunity to go with her mother to work, riding in a tractor-trailer. Scouting for Cookies features a young scout, who takes the reader through the cookie supply chain. She starts in a wheat field and ends with the consumer.

The objective of the program is to educate young girls about exciting career opportunities in the trucking industry as well as safety around big trucks. The “Trucks are for Girls” events have taken place all over the U.S. and Canada. The very first event took place in October 2014. Since then, over 1,500 girls have earned their WIT patch.