Veterans Day, a national holiday observed annually on Nov. 11, honors men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The day also marks the end of World War I. The trucking industry, which employs many veterans across various industry segments, is taking the day to honor the members of its community who have defended this country.
XPO Logistics
Brad Jacobs, chairman and CEO of XPO Logistics, described the company’s 2,500 veterans as hardworking, honest, full of integrity, trustworthy, team players and “a winning focus to our culture.” Chief diversity officer at XPO Logistics, LaQuenta Jacobs, shared her story as a daughter of a U.S. Marine who served in the Korean War:
“My father’s spirit of sacrifice and devotion to duty has been an inspiration throughout my life,” Jacobs said in a blog post. “My XPO colleagues who’ve served, and those who are still serving in the National Guard and Reserves, are also a source of inspiration. I’m honored to be working among so many people who’ve given so much to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today.”
Total Quality Logistics
Total Quality Logistics (TQL) held a ceremony at 10. a.m. on Nov. 11 honoring those who have served and sacrificed. During the ceremony, featured below from TQL’s Facebook Live stream, there was a flag raising ceremony on Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana’s tallest flagpoles, a skydiving team, two speeches from former combat Marines, and the reveal of The Eyes of Freedom: Lima Company Memorial, an outdoor art exhibit honoring the fallen U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy hospital of Corpsmen of Lima Company, one of the hardest-hit units in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Watch the live video here.
Kenworth Trucking Co.
Transition Trucking – Driving for Excellence finalist Gail Losee served in the U.S. Army for 20 years in the transportation and logistics sector, and for her, enlisting in the military was never a question, rather it was a matter of deciding which branch to serve.
“My dad and brother served in the Navy and my grandpa fought in World War II with the Army,” said Losee. “I’ve had several other family members serve as well – it’s in the family. My family wanted me to join the Navy, but I felt that the Army best fit my interests, so I decided to follow in my grandpa’s footsteps. It’s made the Army versus Navy a fun rivalry.”
Over the course of her military career, Losee, who now works as an independent contractor with Stevens Transport, worked her way up from driving military vehicles and responding to natural disaster relief in the U.S. to commanding a platoon overseas.
“I’ve been around trucks and heavy equipment for almost my entire adult life,” said Losee. “Strategically planning routes for our drivers traveling through enemy territory was stressful at times. I learned a lot of valuable skills serving in the transportation and logistics sector that made my transition to a commercial driver easier.”
J Rayl Transport
J Rayl Transport, an Akron, Ohio-based transportation and logistics company, has a program called Operation Freedom, approved by the Department of Labor and the VA to assist veterans interested in a career in the transportation industry, which includes a military apprenticeship, tuition reimbursement and a ‘Veteran Proud’ program.
According to the company, veterans can earn up to, depending on the area, $1,704 of additional pay through the monthly VA education program benefit from the GI Bill on top of the weekly payroll check as well as an additional $0.02 per mile added to regular milage pay – based on experience – for all military veterans.
NFI Industries
NFI Industries (NFI) – which specializes in transportation, distribution, real estate, global, intermodal, freight brokerage and port drayage – shared a video featuring two NFI veteran employees: William who was an Army Ranger and Marie, an Air Force veteran, sharing how they found family at NFI after entering back into civilian life.
This week, the United States Marine Corps celebrated its 245th birthday on Nov 10., reminding Americans what serving in the military stands for, no matter what branch.
As CFI quoted from John F. Kennedy, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.”
Thank you to all those who have served to protect the United States of America.
