Five good things that happened in trucking this week – May 14
This week – like almost every other week since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – was not short of big, industry-impacting events. The Colonial Pipeline was hacked. A gas shortage spread across the U.S. Chick-fil-A faced supply chain disruption, causing a shortage of their signature sauce. And just like every other week, the good prevails. Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.
Mercedes Benz donates Sprinter van to non-profit for at-risk children
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) delivered a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passenger Van to Kim's Open Door, a non-profit based in Jacksonville, Fla., whose volunteers serve the city's at-risk children by providing them with access to mentorship, educational assistance, the arts, and local community events.
The newly acquired Sprinter Passenger Van will help the Jacksonville-based organization distribute meals to families battling food insecurity as well as double its capacity to transport children in the community, many of whom are recently settled refugees, to and from activities.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz USA
"Mercedes-Benz USA, its employees and dealer partners are proud to be a part of the Jacksonville community. We are grateful for every opportunity, big or small, to lend a helping hand to those dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of our city's most vulnerable children," said Mike Nolte, general manager of the Southern region at MBUSA. "We would like to thank our employees, especially our Vans team, and our partners at Mercedes-Benz of Jacksonville who generously and selflessly volunteered their personal time and expertise to help make this possible."
The company is donating 100 meals per week to Kim's Open Door during the 2020-2021 school year to help combat hunger among students participating in the organization's reading program and their siblings at home.
"We are thankful for Mercedes-Benz USA and their employees whose continued support has helped us provide nutrition along with education and the arts for hundreds of underserved children and families in Jacksonville," said Kim Bogart, founder of Kim's Open Door. "Kids need our services now more than ever and this new-to-us Sprinter van will enable our team to increase the number of families we serve."
SCF Highway to Hope virtual concert starts this weekend
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.
SCF has received multiple sponsorships and donations ahead of the event from companies such as Shell Rotella, CH Robinson, TQ Logistics, Brenny Transportation, and more. 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.
Just ONE WEEK left until our #HighwayToHope concert event! Jimmy Mac of the @DaveNemoShow will host the show with performances by @Wynonna, @John_Schneider, @billydean, @Lindsaylawler, and @heathsandersmus! 💙 Tickets are limited, so get yours today at https://t.co/5sNRnUedvP pic.twitter.com/kUx93jvVIH
— Truckers Relief Fund (@truckerfund) May 10, 2021
A portion of proceeds from the concert will go directly to the SCF to support truck drivers in need. Individual ticket purchasers in the U.S. 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.
“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.”
UPS driver retires after 42 years with perfect driving record
Dave Gordon, of Bourbonnais, Ill., is retiring from UPS after 42 years, ending his tenure with a perfect driving record. What’s the secret sauce to an accident-free career?
“Well, the secret to being a safe driver is you obey all the traffic signals,” Gordon told Kankakee County’s Daily Journal. “You don’t run red lights. And you stop completely at all stop signs, you yield. You’re just the defensive driver. UPS trains you to be that way. You always wear your seat belt. I mean, I wear my seat belt 150 times a day. We’re required to wear them whenever the truck is moving.”
Dave GordonPhoto: Daily Journal/Chris Breach
Throughout his career, Gordon has made a ton of friends with endless memories to cherish.
“The first eight years of my career, I was a swing driver and drove everybody’s route, vacation coverage, etc.,” he said. “And then eventually, I got a [dedicated] route.”
While Gordon was earning an associate’s degree from Kankakee Community College, he started working for UPS. Once he saw the life-long career opportunity that UPS provided, Gordon left behind a four-year school for a Big Brown uniform.
“I knew that I would be getting paid more than most people when they graduate, and my main thing was I wanted to build a supportive big family,” he said. “And this was my ticket. But we work hard.”
And Gordon has done it without a single driving incident. Steve Nelson, Gordon’s supervisor, said the driving record is incredible.
“It doesn’t happen often,” Nelson said. “Usually, if a driver makes 30 years, that’s an accomplishment. For 42 [years] is pretty incredible. And it doesn’t happen just by accident either because he’s in a really busy, congested part of town. So, for him to make it that long, it’s a true testament to his driving ability.”
A banner hangs in the UPS facility in Kankakee, Ill., marking Dave Gordon's safe driving accomplishment.Photo: Daily Journal/Chris Breach
Living in Bourbonnais, raising a family and then working on daily basis in the same community was a great advantage for Gordon.
“It’s really something very special to work in the community all day in which I live in,” he said. “It’s a heck of a perk. You get to know people. My lawyers in town there. My barber is there. I’ve been going to him forever. You know, my bank, my grocery store, just everything is there.
“My secret is to have faith in all adversity, have a good relationship with God and never give up,” Gordon said. “Never give up.”
Werner driver sings National Anthem at Omaha Storm Chasers game
Tommy G., a professional driver for Werner Enterprises, shared his talent with the Omaha, Neb., community through his banjo and his voice.
Check out his performance below.
A cool moment at Werner Park! Werner professional driver Tommy G. sang the National Anthem while playing his banjo ahead of the @OMAStormChasers game. 👏🏻 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/i9BFciNF76
— Werner Enterprises (@One_Werner) May 10, 2021
XPO Logistics takes military appreciation on the road
XPO Logistics Inc. is displaying its commitment to military veterans on trucks in its transportation fleet through colorful, vinyl wraps that were installed in honor of Military Appreciation Month and will remain in use all year.
XPO drivers who are US military veterans and have driven at least one million accident-free miles will be driving these decked-out trucks and can be seen on the road in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
Ever wondered how a truck gets wrapped? Check out this behind-the-scenes #timelapse! And find out more about how we're celebrating #MilitaryAppreciationMonth: https://t.co/jWNhqIy8ab pic.twitter.com/1rTP9gcc79
— XPO Logistics, Inc. (@XPOLogistics) May 12, 2021
The company’s recruiters are trained in military culture and connect with veterans through XPO’s partnership with military.com, targeted hiring events and XPO’s LinkedIn Military Life page. In addition, the company provides a dedicated recruitment site for veterans, with a tool that matches military experience to employment opportunities, and an application that encourages self-identification as a veteran.
Photo: XPO Logistics
"Our drivers are ambassadors of our workplace values, which include respect, inclusion and safety — qualities that also define the military community,” said LaQuenta Jacobs, chief diversity officer of XPO Logistics. “We’re proud to have veterans behind the wheel as we spread the word about the careers we offer for women and men returning to civilian life."