As we enter the second fall season during the COVID-19 pandemic, I am reminded of where we were last year: working from home, isolating from families, hesitant to turn on the news for the latest COVID numbers. Where was trucking this time last year? The same place it always is—out on the road, helping others, and making a difference. It’s my pleasure to continue sharing the good. Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.
FMCSA reveals 2021 Road Safety Art Contest winners
FMCSA announced the winners of the 2021 Road Safety Art Contest. The annual contest serves as a collaborative effort between the Our Roads, Our Safety partnership to raise safety awareness about the commercial truck and bus industries.
This year, four students took the grand prize for their creations:
- Avni Choudepally in North Carolina; Category 1: Grades K-5
- Amy Lin in New Jersey; Category 2: Grades 6-8
- Abigail Regnier in Missouri; Category 3: Grades 9-10
- Olivia Stone in Alaska; Category 4: Grades 11-12
Check out all the art from the winners, including the People’s Choice and Honorable Mentions award recipients.
Advantage Truck Group donates to food pantries through Haulin’ 4 Hunger
Advantage Truck Group (ATG) employees delivered 150 cases of tuna fish to six food pantry organizations across its New England dealer network.
Donations were made through Haulin’ 4 Hunger, a program ATG started in Shrewsbury in 2012 to provide fresh meals to those in need during the holidays. The program expanded this spring to include donations of nonperishable items to help meet ongoing needs in communities near its dealer locations, including Manchester, Lebanon and Seabrook, New Hampshire; Westminster, Vermont; and Westfield and Raynham, Massachusetts.
ATG co-founder, president, and CEO Kevin Holmes, as well as co-founder Kevin McDevitt, personally delivered 25 cases of tuna fish to the food pantry in Raynham, Massachusetts, where ATG is opening a new facility. The Raynham food pantry relies on donations from the local community and businesses, making bulk donations of popular items like tuna fish especially important. This is the third bulk donation ATG has made this year to the Raynham food pantry.
UPS Foundation pledges to plant 35 million trees in the next decade
Inspired by the passion of UPS volunteers, The UPS Foundation has collaborated with leading environmental partners to plant 15 million trees in 66 countries across six continents by 2020.
Now, UPS is expanding its work by joining the 1t.org effort: UPS pledges to plant an additional 35 million trees between 2020 and 2030 in alignment with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) reporting period, and reach 50 million trees. According to UPS' pledge, the company's global commitment will prioritize planting trees in low-income and underserved communities in cities and developing regions worldwide.
"Our ambition isn’t just to plant trees—it’s to change the relationship that humans have with the environment and each other for the better," UPS said in its pledge. "As we train thousands of people each year in tree planting, soil regeneration, sustainable agricultural practices, and community engagement, we create a powerful network of advocates that have an impact beyond the trees we planted together."
Purolator partners with Daily Bread Food Bank on Red Bag campaign
Daily Bread Food Bank, a Toronto, Canada-based food bank, is partnering with Purolator on their Red Bag campaign.
According to a tweet by the food bank, red bags will be distributed on Sept. 25 in various Toronto counties to be filled up with nonperishable food donations and picked up on Oct. 2 by volunteer drivers and delivered to the food bank.
Purolator also recently donated 450 lb. of cereal to Eden Food for Change in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. According to the food bank, cereal has been on their most needed list for a long time.
Bendix and Knorr-Bremse donate $35,000 to empower women's careers
Up to 80 women in the Acuña, Mexico, area have been or will be learning a new skill set that can be used as the foundation for starting their own business in the fields of culinary arts or image design techniques/cosmetology thanks to a dual-track vocational training and empowerment course funded by a $35,000 grant from Knorr-Bremse Global Care North America.
Additionally, Bendix—through the Bendix Foundation—contributed to the program by presenting a graduation gift to each student at the conclusion of the course. The gift featured supplies that could be helpful in starting their business. For example, students in the image design course track received lighted makeup mirrors and storage cases, while culinary students received baking supplies and measuring equipment.
“It was really gratifying to know that we can make such a big difference in these women’s lives,” said Jacqueline Perez, Acuña plant manager and project champion. “Prior to this program, many of them were dependent on their partner or spouse for all of their income. So this program is giving them a new skill set to empower them and is helping them to feel independent.”
