In a webinar hosted by U.S. Xpress on June 18, drivers shared their experiences on the road throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Erin Evans explained that being a truck driver is a stressful job. “Take a deep breath, take your breaks, and take care of your mental health,” Evans encouraged drivers. Unwind with these five good things that happened in trucking this week.
Mack Trucks partners with Life is Good to #ThankATrucker
Mack Trucks is partnering with Life is Good to offer a limited-edition, #ThankATrucker Mack t-shirt with proceeds benefitting the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF), a nonprofit offering financial assistance to ill or injured professional drivers, as well as health and wellness programs.
The t-shirt, currently being sold at Mack’s online store, the Mack Shop, features a Mack MD Series truck driven by Jake, the Life is Good icon and the hashtag #ThankATrucker, a social media conversation encouraging people to recognize the service that professional drivers provide on a daily basis, even during a pandemic.
"We're grateful for the essential workers keeping us safe, healthy, and well-supplied during these challenging times," said Bert Jacobs, co-founder and Chief Executive Optimist of Life is Good. "Our mission is spreading optimism, and over time, we’ve seen the power of positivity in action by partnering with brands who are dedicated to growing the good. That's why we're excited to team up with Mack Trucks to honor the people going above and beyond."
“We are thrilled to be a part of this exclusive campaign with Mack Trucks to honor and thank the professional men and women who play such a critical role in our everyday lives,” said Shannon Currier, director of philanthropy and development for the SCF.
The SCF helps over-the-road and regional drivers and their families with short-term financial assistance when an illness or injury has affected their ability to work. Assistance may be given in the form of direct payment to the provider for rent, mortgage, utilities, vehicles and insurance.
“Despite these difficult and uncertain times, professional drivers continue to go above and beyond to keep the supply chain moving,” Currier added. “These shirts will be a lasting reminder of how important truck drivers are to our economy, and the funds raised will help ensure that SCF will be there for our highway heroes when they need us most.”
FedEx Dog Guy on Tik Tok gives treats to pups everywhere
Tik Tok, the growing social media platform, has taken the world by storm during the past couple of months. With many people stuck inside, they’ve taken their creative energy and began creating entertaining content for the world.
Chris, the FedEx Dog Guy, did just that. Except he wasn’t stuck at home. He’s been on the road, making deliveries to his community, fighting the pandemic face-to-face like every truck driver since COVID-19 hit the country. So Chris took to TIk Tok and documented his encounters on the road with all of his customers – his doggie customers, that is. Since his first video on March 9, his popularity has soared and his audience has grown to almost 65K followers.
Follow Chris, the FedEx Dog Guy, and his furry customers at his Tik Tok account.
St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund launched Rigs without Cigs movement
This week, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) launched the Rigs without Cigs movement, a tobacco cessation participation and incentive program to get truck drivers to quit smoking.
The rewards for the incentive program include:
- One-month tobacco free: Truckers will receive a reimburse cost of quit key (the tapering off method) or an audiobook download (the cold turkey method) as well as $25 Road Pro rewards points.
- Three-months tobacco free: Truckers will receive $50 worth of a Road Pro product as well as a $50 gift card
- Six-months tobacco free: Truckers will receive a $100 gift card
- One-year tobacco free: Truckers will receive a prize package worth $200 as well as a $200 gift card
Truck drivers can register here at the SCF website. After registering, drivers will receive a welcome letter with additional program details. Drivers can choose either the quit key or the audiobook download, which is the only cost to the driver. According to SCF, the quit key has a 60-day money back guarantee. If it does not help the driver quit, it can be sent back, and a refund is issued.
Once registered in the program, drivers will receive emails with tips and tools to be successful. Drivers will name an accountability partner who also gives status updates when driver quits using tobacco and can also join the Facebook group where they can stage engaged in the program with other members.
The Trucking Association of New York and ATA discussed legislation in transportation
This week, the Trucking Association of New York and the American Trucking Associations (ATA) met for a two-day virtual Call on Washington event to discuss legislative matters about infrastructure, truck parking, workforce development, and the Trusted Traveler Program.
Alex Rosen, who works in legislative affairs for ATA, tweeted after the sessions, citing the meetings with the New York Congressional delegation were productive.
This week’s ATA Photo Contest winners
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) launched the #ThankATrucker - Providing for the Frontlines campaign intended to provide some relief to the men and women on the road. This campaign will:
- Continue to provide hand sanitizer stations along major freight corridors in order for professional truck drivers on the front lines to fill up their own personal bottles.
- Encourage professional drivers to submit a fun photo of themselves with their rig. Once submitted, they will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a $25 electronic gift card for a meal of their choice while on the road.
Every day, four winners are chosen and featured on ATA’s Twitter account. Congratulations to all of the winners this week:
- June 22: Jim Curtis, ABF Freight; Jason Young, Ohio Logistics; Gary Stackhouse, Convoy Systems LLC; Bill Bennett, UPS
- June 23: Michael Harrison, SAV Express Inc.; Terry Bennett, ABF Freight; Daniel Johnson, Meteor Express; Mike Rummel, Old Dominion Freight Line
- June 24: Tina Jones, Stallion Express; Richard Maahs, FedEx Freight; Herschel Evans, Holland Inc.; Chris Carlson, SAV Express Inc.
- June 25: John Kendall, Old Dominion Freight Line; Darius Hicks, SAV Express Inc.; Scotty Wells, Walmart Transportation; Lonnie Walker, ABF Freight
Congratulations to the winners, and to all truck drivers for making it through another safe week on the road.
