Often, this blog’s weekly roundup of good trucking news follows a similar vein. But this week featured a hodgepodge of volunteering, donations, good deeds, and special trucking interests. Read more about each different topic in this week’s Five Good Things.
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Relay Payments celebrates inspiring truck drivers with annual Haul of Fame contest
Relay Payments recently opened its second annual Haul of Fame contest, which honors inspiring truck drivers and their contributions to the trucking industry. The contest will recognize two winners with a variety of prizes, including a trip to the NASCAR race weekend in Atlanta September 6-8, just ahead of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
Two winners will be selected this year by a panel of judges, which includes:
- NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR Series Cup champion and current vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports
- Timothy Dooner, award-winning podcaster who hosts and produces WHAT THE TRUCK?!?
- Clarissa Rankin, one of the most well-known female truck drivers, CDL school owner, and TikTok influencer with 1.8 million followers who advocates for women in trucking
- Ryan Droege, CEO and co-founder of Relay Payments
“Our nation’s professional truck drivers have always been big supporters of NASCAR, and I’m honored to serve as a judge for this year’s Haul of Fame contest,” Gordon said. “Relay’s sponsorship of the No. 24 team helps highlight the relationship between the trucking industry and racing. Haul of Fame is another great way to celebrate truck drivers and the important role they play.”
The application process is as follows:
- Nominations open April 9-June 30
- Public voting for 15 finalists from July 3-31
- Five finalists announced on August 1
- Celebrity judging takes place August 1-6
- Winners announced on September 3
The two Haul of Fame winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip for themselves and a guest to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where they’ll have the opportunity to meet NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron and participate in a behind-the-scenes Hendrick Motorsports race day experience. The truck drivers will also be featured on the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? podcast with Timothy Dooner and receive $250 in their Relay account to use for fuel.
“We’re excited to sponsor Hendrick Motorsports once again, and we wanted to make sure that celebrating truck drivers is a cornerstone of our partnership,” said Ryan Droege, Relay co-founder and CEO. “That’s why this year’s Haul of Fame contest is even bigger. We can’t wait to read through all the nominations!”
To nominate a truck driver who has made significant contributions to the trucking industry, please visit relaypayments.com/haul-of-fame. This year’s application process allows for submissions in various formats, including video testimonials.
XPO employees volunteer at Georgia's Safety Drive For A Cure, raising more than $46,000
Nine XPO managers in Georgia recently volunteered at the Safety Drive For A Cure in Atlanta, an event that kicks off the Truck Driving Championships season and raises money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
Around 160 professional drivers from across the country, including many state and national TDC champions, participated in the event. XPO employees Tim Vogt, Casey Smock, Kevin Lannen, Damion Upton, Roman Lawson, Raqeem Shellman, Cara Sabbs, Katrina McLendon, and Alex Bedtelyon spent the day on their feet, ensuring the pretrip corral ran smoothly.
Through their efforts, along with those of the participants and other volunteers, they helped raise more than $46,000 to support children with pediatric brain tumors and their families.
Truck driver named TCA Highway Angel for rescuing two women when their car flipped
The Truckload Carriers Association named truck driver Rodney Clay from Riverview, Florida, a TCA Highway Angel for stopping to help a mother and daughter when their car flipped on a busy highway and crashed into the road median. Clay works for Norton Transport out of Ringgold, Georgia.
On March 4, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., Clay was traveling on Interstate 435 in Lawrence, Kansas, and saw an accident occur about a quarter mile in front of him.
“I saw a car practically in the air, flipping. Nobody was stopping,” Clay said. “So I pulled over about 100 yards in front of the car off the interstate. I ran toward the car and saw it smoking and fluid leaking.”
A 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Clay got to the car, and all airbags were deployed. A young girl was inside the vehicle, in shock. The driver, a middle-aged woman, was injured. Knowing he needed more help, Clay stood in the way of traffic and stopped another tanker truck. The driver got out to assist.
“I told the women, ‘You have to get out of this car now—it’s smoking really bad,’” Clay said. “I was afraid it was going to blow up.”
Clay and the other truck driver pulled her out of the vehicle, and then rescued the girl as well, moving them far away from the smoking vehicle.
The young lady tried to call her dad on Clay’s phone, but there was no answer. Soon, paramedics arrived, and Clay left the scene. Later, he ended up texting the father of the young lady, informing him what happened. The man was grateful for the message. Later that day, the father called Clay to thank him for helping his family.
Love Family Women’s Center doors open for next generation
For the matriarch of the Love family, Judy Love, not much will stand in her way when it comes to her dedication to making a difference in the community. Not even a global pandemic. Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City started its campaign for a massive new women’s center in December 2019, a few months before the beginning of the pandemic. Most involved had no idea what was coming.
At the time, Love was on the board of the Mercy Health Foundation and believed the organization could raise the funds to bring an innovative and technologically advanced women’s center to the Oklahoma City metro. She and her late husband Tom Love gave a $10 million lead donation to kick off the project, and in partnership with co-chair and former state first lady Cathy Keating, they helped raise more than $30 million from Oklahoma families and businesses. The facility is called the Love Family Women’s Center and honors four generations of the family.
“Mom and Cathy were very involved in co-chairing a silent campaign to raise funds for this women’s center,” said Jenny Love Meyer, Judy’s daughter and chief culture officer of Love’s. “Trying to raise $40 million during normal times would have been a lofty goal, but COVID changed a lot and only three months into the campaign. We are very proud of them for dedicating themselves to raising a historic amount of money during a time of economic uncertainty and amid a global pandemic.”
The new Love Family Women’s Center is dedicated to providing advanced medicine and exceptional care for Oklahoma women. The new center is a 175,000-square-foot, four-story building on the Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City campus and has 30 patient rooms to accommodate the significant increase in childbirths. Over the last 10 years, the hospital has experienced a 34% increase in childbirths, which is nearly 4,000 births each year. The women’s center will increase the hospital’s delivery capacity by 40%.
“Our family’s roots run deep in Oklahoma, and so does Mercy’s roots with the Sisters of Mercy and their commitment to serving Oklahomans,” Love Meyer said. “This project builds on both legacies and reinforces our standard of supporting the communities in which we live and work. As the only remaining family-owned and operated travel stop company in the industry, it’s wonderful this center is opening during our 60th anniversary as we look to investing in and supporting future generations.”
Chevron pledges $3 million for flood relief in Kazakhstan
Chevron, through its subsidiary Chevron Munaigas Inc., announced it is contributing $3 million to assist communities in Kazakhstan affected by the widespread flooding across the country.
“As a long-standing partner of Kazakhstan, Chevron is committed to helping the country in its relief efforts as it works to manage the devastating impact of flooding,” said Derek Magness, managing director of Chevron’s Eurasia business unit. “We understand the critical role these resources play in addressing the immediate needs of communities during this crisis. Chevron expresses its unwavering support for the people of Kazakhstan in these challenging times.”
More than $460 million has been invested in social projects by Chevron in Kazakhstan over the past 30 years. In 2020, Chevron became one of the first and largest contributors in Kazakhstan to respond to the COVID-19 emergency with over $20 million in donations of medicines and equipment.
