But when will pigs fly?
And you thought hauling freight was tough. According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Southwest Airlines is seeking government approval to again fly a pair of penguins onboard to promote its flights to cities with SeaWorld locations. The promotion had been shut down, not surprisingly, in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Security concerns will have to be addressed before the flightless birds get their wings back. AP reported that Southwest has been informed that any animals brought onboard would be subject to “wanding” at security checkpoints. “We feel like they really brighten people's days,” noted Fran Stephenson, SeaWorld spokeswoman. “Besides, they don't have any pockets to empty.”
Revved up to give
North American Van Lines, Inc. recently hit the books by serving as a collection site for the “Rev Up to Read!” book drive to benefit children at community charities.
North American Moving & Storage, a North American agent, revved up one of its moving vans to deliver the 5,625 new and used books collected at sites throughout the Fort Wayne, IN, area.
“We appreciate the generosity of North American Van Lines and its employees in donating and delivering the books that are making such a big impact on our volunteers and the children,” said Sarah Miretti of Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana, one of the drive's beneficiaries.
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Reference “Shore Power To You” (see Driver's Lounge 1/03), I am part of a committee to upgrade an old parking area on Interstate 495 on Long Island, NY. NY State has a five-minute diesel idle restriction. As a police supervisor with the local Motor Carrier Safety Unit, we strongly recommended vending of shore power. There are restrictions as to what can be sold in a parking area on a non-toll portion of the Interstate, and selling shore power currently is not included in that criteria.
Sgt. James T. Farrell
Suffolk County (NY) Highway Patrol
Motor Carrier Safety Section
Good Samaritans never die
Twenty-five years ago last month a new emergency-response vehicle rolled onto the roadways of Providence, RI, providentially as it were, as it came along just in time to lend assistance to motorists stranded in the fabled Blizzard of ‘78, which paralyzed New England.
CVS/pharmacy launched its CVS/Samaritan Van program on February 6, 1978, with a single van providing free roadside assistance to motorists in need.
Now the fleet of CVS/Samaritan Vans patrol highways in nine cities.
Winning model
Die-Cast Promotions (DCP) has teamed up Trucker Buddy International and Mike Ryan Motorsports to roll out a 1:64 replica of a race truck. It's modeled after Ryan's 2001 Freightliner Century Class ST — a five-time winner of the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb.
According to DCP, proceeds will go to support Trucker Buddy, a non-profit organization that matches professional drivers as pen pals with elementary school classes.
75 big ones
Trucking parts supplier Phillips Industries is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The company points out it was “built on a signal arm” via a patent awarded to founder Hugh Phillips, who began selling truck parts to produce haulers in 1928. Phillips began manufacturing the reflective signal arm two years later. Phillips Industries creates as well as distributes a wide range of trucking products to both OEMs and the aftermarket.
“We're proud the company began with a commitment to superior customer service and has kept that commitment for three-quarters of a century,” says CEO Bob Phillips.
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