Five good things that happened in trucking this week—Oct. 8
"Who is your hero?" That question reverberates through almost every elementary school classroom for young children to ponder. For many, it's mom, dad, their favorite Marvel character, etc. For those in the trucking industry, heroes are just normal people, going above and beyond to help others around them. Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.
J.B. Hunt gifts $1.25M to support suicide prevention
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. contributed $1.25 million to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to help the organization advance its mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.
The gift will support a variety of AFSP programs nationwide and will include education and community resources to create much-needed space for critical conversations around mental health and suicide prevention. This commitment builds on previous collaborations between J.B. Hunt and AFSP that focused on building suicide prevention education within the company and local communities.
Truckload Carriers Association calls for 2021 Driver of the Year nominations
The Truckload Carriers Association has opened nominations for its annual Driver of the Year contest for company drivers and owner-operators.
The goal of the contest is to recognize and pay tribute to company drivers and owner-operators who provide reliable and safe truck transportation in moving the nation’s goods.
Three finalists will be chosen, from which the grand prize winner will be selected. The grand prize winner will be recognized and honored as the outstanding company driver and owner-operator based on his/her ability to operate in a safe manner on the public highways, efforts to enhance the public image of the trucking industry, and positive contributions to the community in which he/she lives.
Phase 1 nominations due Oct. 25, 2021. Submit nominations for this year’s Driver of the Year contest here.
Fleet Advantage’s foundation honors truckers and their families
As a way to show its ongoing appreciation for truck drivers and their families, Fleet Advantage became an official sponsor of truckersfinalmile.org by making a donation through its Kids Around The Corner foundation.
The truckersfinalmile.org mission aims to reunite North American truck drivers and their families in times of crisis. Each year, they collect donations and unwrapped gifts to help children that have lost a parent who’s a truck driver out on the road and helps them cope during the holiday season.
The company’s contribution helps secure a total of 10 college education savings accounts through the program’s Sleigh Bells and Santa initiative, the annual campaign during the holidays to help children that experience a loss of a parent truck driver out on the road and away from home. Many of these children suddenly find themselves in a single-parent household where changes and sacrifices are needed.
“Having the support of Fleet Advantage is appreciated greatly by not only our organization, but by the families in the trucking industry that we will be able to assist through your generosity,” said Robert Palm, founder/CEO of truckersfinalmile.org. “The onset of COVID-19 took away one of our primary opportunities for fundraising – conferences and events. As a result, we rely on community-minded companies like Fleet Advantage to help these families in their time of need.”
The Wall That Heals Trailer gets an upgrade
Razor International has donated a Razor Drive electric landing gear system to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), the nonprofit organization that founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The Razor Drive electric landing gear system was installed on the trailer that hauls The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Vietnam War and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“When we heard that the landing gear on the trailer for The Wall That Heals was in need of upgrading and modernizing, we were honored to be able to provide our Razor Drive system to make the driver’s job easier when moving the display from location to location,” said Chris Guttormsson,vice president sales and marketing at Razor International USA. “We are not only committed to being an active member of the North American trucking community, we are proud to support VVMF and its traveling display.”
Goodyear looks for Highway Heroes
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is opening a call for nominations for its 2020-2021 Highway Hero Award. From now through Dec. 31, 2021, you can nominate a professional truck driver who has acted selflessly for the good of others on the highways across North America.
"We designed the annual Goodyear Highway Hero Award decades ago to honor the heroic efforts of professional truck drivers who act as first responders on the highway," Gary Medalis, Goodyear's director of product marketing, said. "These drivers are at the center of the trucking industry and are seldom recognized for their important role in keeping the global supply chain moving. The Goodyear Highway Hero Award is our way of shedding light on the merits of this profession and rewarding those who go above and beyond in their duty."
The grand prize winner will be announced in early 2022 and will receive a package that includes a cash prize and trip to Orlando for the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition, which takes place March 8-11, 2022. Two finalists will also receive a prize package.
Nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a full-time truck driver
- Must reside in the U.S. or Canada
- The incident must have occurred in the U.S. or Canada
- Nominee must be on the job or on the way to and from work, and in his or her truck, at the time of the incident
- Nominee’s truck at the time of the incident must have 12 wheels or more
- Incident must have happened between March 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021