Have you seen good things happening in the trucking industry? Let me know by email or on Twitter with #FiveGoodThings.
Fall is in full swing. Leaves are changing and temperatures are dropping, but the one thing that remains the same is trucking's dedication to its community. Here are five good things that happened in the industry this week.
IC Bus awards nine 2021 scholarships
IC Bus has revealed the nine recipients of its annual IC Bus Scholarship. The scholarships, which are awarded to family members of IC Bus dealer employees, are a joint effort between IC Bus and its dealer network in support of higher education in the communities where their employees live and work.
Each recipient will receive $2,500 toward education expenses for the 2021-2022 school year. Of the nine selected to receive scholarships, three memorial scholarships were awarded to honor the leadership of past influential IC Bus dealers.
This year’s scholarship recipients include:
- Ethan Thieneman, Harlow Hageness Scholarship—Midwest Transit in Kankakee, Illinois
- Zoe Adams, Richard Wolfington Sr. Scholarship—DATTCO in New Britain, Connecticut
- Alexis Mushel, Holly Hoglund Klein Scholarship—Mid-State Truck in Marshfield, Wisconsin
- Evan Parkins—Silver State International Trucks in Sparks, Nevada
- Emily Burlison—Midwest Transit in Whitestown, Indiana
- Erika Kundinger—Mid-State Truck in Marshfield, Wisconsin
- Alexander Giles—Mid-State Truck in Marshfield, Wisconsin
- Jena Lynn Hughes—Waters International Trucks in Natchez, Mississippi
- Caleb Rayner—Carolina International Trucks in Columbia, South Carolina
“IC Bus is proud to support these students and their aspirations toward their future careers,” said Trish Reed, VP and general manager of IC Bus. “Navistar strives to drive and inspire change by encouraging people to align themselves around something bigger. Providing this opportunity to our IC Bus dealers and families of their teams is something we are passionate about."
ASE foundation launches Adopt-A-School program
As a means to foster partnerships between businesses in the transportation industry and schools in their communities, the ASE Education Foundation has introduced a new Adopt-A-School program that will enable businesses to provide support to local schools while simultaneously providing those businesses with access to up-and-coming service professionals entering the workforce.
“Our Adopt-A-School program is a new avenue to help increase the number of service professionals entering the industry while at the same time providing businesses with the opportunity to connect with and help train the next generation of service technicians,” said Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president. “Schools need partners from the industry to provide advice and guidance, demonstrate career opportunities for their students, and help those students get the hands-on experience that will grow their skills and encourage them to stick with an automotive career.”
Interested businesses can access the free online toolkit that provides information about connecting with students, supporting a school’s training program and educators, and putting students to work in the industry while they are still in school. A downloadable brochure also is available to provide pertinent information and help employers recognize the value of these partnerships.
“We want to thank our schools and industry partners who have stepped up and provided support and expertise to help launch the Adopt-A-School program,” Coley said. “We are excited about the opportunities that this program provides and are looking forward to helping schools and businesses form meaningful and long-lasting partnerships and begin to solve the technician shortage.”
Kenworth truck to be auctioned to fight trafficking
In an effort to further educate and fund efforts to combat human trafficking, Don Blake, Inland Kenworth-Phoenix new truck sales manager, is leading a major effort to auction a special “Everyday Heroes” Kenworth T680 Next Generation. Proceeds from the sale of the truck will go directly to Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), a nonprofit devoted to stopping human trafficking by educating, mobilizing, and empowering the nation’s truck drivers and rest stop employees.
Ritchie Bros. will host the auction on Dec. 10 in Perris, California.
According to Blake, the buzz surrounding the Kenworth T680 Next Gen, combined with strong demand for new trucks, is creating excellent conditions for the auction. “I think this year’s auction for the Everyday Heroes truck will be our best yet,” Blake said. “There’s been a lot of interest in the T680 Next Gen, and we expect a good bidder turnout. The sale of the truck will likely result in TAT’s largest single donation of the year and help fund programs that make a difference.”
Kendis Paris, executive director of TAT, noted that truckers are making a big difference in identifying and reporting possible cases of human trafficking to law enforcement. In the United States alone, profits from the crime of human trafficking are estimated to be worth $32 billion.
“Each year, more truck drivers and truck stop operators are added to the network of TAT trained and educated members – over one million to date,” Paris said. “They are our eyes and ears out on the road and are relied upon to report suspicious activity.”
So far, nearly 2,700 calls have been reported by truckers alone since the program began in 2009. Of that number, there have been 710 likely human trafficking cases identified involving nearly 1,300 victims.
WIT reveals list of top companies for women
Women In Trucking Association (WIT) announced the recipients of the 2021 “Top Companies for Women to Work For in Transportation.”
“As women rise through the ranks in the transportation industry, we are excited to feature the companies that make the extra effort to attract and retain a more gender-diverse workforce,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. “We applaud their efforts and this distinction is our way of giving them the recognition they deserve.”
There are a number of characteristics that distinguish companies recognized on this list, according to Brian Everett, publisher of WIT’s magazine Redefining the Road. These characteristics include: corporate cultures that foster gender diversity, competitive compensation and benefits, flexible hours and work requirements, professional development opportunities, and career advancement opportunities.
“Identifying the companies on this list involves a two-step process,” Everett said. “First, nominations of the companies are received and carefully reviewed to ensure they qualify by meeting a minimum threshold of qualifications. Then the final ballot of companies is voted on by individuals in the industry. This is the fourth year of this prestigious recognition program and it garnered more than 14,000 votes to identify the final companies named to the list.”
The list comprises a diverse range of business sectors in the commercial freight transportation marketplace, including motor carriers, third-party logistics companies, and original equipment manufacturers. Check out the full list of recipients here.
2022 Best Fleets to Drive For reaches milestone
Launched in 2008, Best Fleets to Drive For is the only annual program dedicated to uncovering the best workplaces in the North American trucking industry. Produced by CarriersEdge, in partnership with Truckload Carriers Association, Best Fleets to Drive For recognizes the for-hire fleets providing exceptional workplace experiences for their company drivers and independent contractors.
This year, as the 2022 nomination window nears its Oct. 31 closing, the program has—for the first time—reached over 200 nominations.
Click here to nominate a fleet and/or driver or to see the updated nominations list for 2022.
