Five Good Things: Trucking industry shows its love through scholarships, donations, and community support

Kenneth Laymon named Future of Trucking scholarship winner

Kenneth Laymon, 32, was recently awarded a $1,000 Future of Trucking CDL training scholarship to attend the Kansas Truck Driving School in Wichita, Kansas, part of the Driver Resource Center network of CDL training schools. By combining the scholarship with his VA education benefits, Laymon was able to complete his CDL training and move quickly into a professional driving career.

The Kansas Truck Driving School has helped thousands of students in the Wichita area train for Class A CDL careers through hands-on instruction and career-focused programs. Students learn real-world driving skills to prepare them for entry-level driver jobs with national carriers.

For Laymon, the opportunity to train locally made a difference.

“I’ve always wanted to drive a truck,” he said. “This scholarship and the support from the school helped make that goal possible.”

After completing training, Laymon is now attending orientation with TMC Transportation in Des Moines, Iowa, where he will begin his new career as a professional driver.

Many veterans choose trucking because it offers structure, independence, and strong earning potential without requiring a traditional four-year degree. Programs like the Future of Trucking Scholarship are designed to help applicants reduce out-of-pocket costs while gaining a skill that leads to stable employment.

“We’re honored to support Kenneth as he takes this next step toward a rewarding career,” Brock Bauza, director of enrollment at the Driver Resource Center, stated. “Veterans bring discipline, safety awareness, and leadership to the industry, and we sincerely thank them for their service.”

Pilot launches annual Heart Month campaign to fight heart disease and stroke

Pilot is continuing its long-standing support of the American Heart Association and Heart & Stroke to support heart health education, research, and prevention efforts across the U.S. and Canada. From Jan. 30 through Feb. 22, Pilot invites guests to turn their everyday stops into moments of impact, helping fund the fight against heart disease and stroke, the leading and fifth-leading causes of death in the U.S.

In 2026, Pilot’s goal is to raise $1 million to directly fuel the mission of saving lives. Now in its ninth campaign year with the Heart Association, Pilot and its guests have raised a total of nearly $10 million.

“Heart disease and stroke affect millions of lives every year, including my own,” Julius Cox, EVP, chief people and administrative officer at Pilot, and stroke survivor, said. “After overcoming my experience, I became even more committed to taking care of my personal health and encouraging others to do the same. Every dollar raised during the campaign helps fund groundbreaking research and equips communities with life-saving tools and education they need to keep more hearts beating.”

Guests can visit participating Pilot, Flying J, and One9 travel centers and take part in simple, meaningful actions that collectively make a life-saving difference:

• Paper hearts and round up: Guests at U.S. locations can add a $1, $3, or $5 paper heart or round up their in-store purchases to the nearest dollar at checkout, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association’s Life is Why campaign. Guests at Canadian locations can round up their in-store purchases, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Heart & Stroke in Canada.
• Donate in the app: For the first time, guests can now donate $1, $3, or $5 directly through the Pilot app when placing a mobile order.
• Free coffee offer: To thank guests for their contributions, Pilot app users who join the "Heart Month Challenge" and purchase a paper heart in store will receive an offer for a free coffee on their next visit

Hyundai donates $1M to pediatric cancer research through Epic Picks for the Super Bowl

Thousands of social media users came together for the Super Bowl to participate in Hyundai's Epic Picks social media campaign, making game predictions to support pediatric cancer research. The result? Hyundai Motor America is donating $1 million to Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer research.

Now entering its 28th year, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has awarded more than $277 million in research grants, and Epic Picks represents another way Hyundai continues to support this long‑standing commitment, which has impacted the lives of more than 40,000 children. 

"This was one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, and we wanted fans to feel like they were part of something bigger," Sean Gilpin, chief marketing officer, Hyundai Motor America, stated. "Using our social channels gave football fans a fun way to join the action while helping us drive meaningful support for Hyundai Hope on Wheels. Bringing people together for a good cause is what makes moments like this truly epic."

Starting on Saturday and leading up to the game on Sunday, Hyundai announced five Epic Picks for the game on its Instagram Stories and gave its fans a chance to make their predictions, (i.e. how long will it take to sing the national anthem, how many touchdowns will be in the first half, etc.). Fans were told that for each pick they got correct, based on the majority of the votes, Hyundai would donate $200,000 toward pediatric cancer research.

Though the donation was driven by fan predictions and they got four correct for a total of $800,000, Hyundai ended the night with a surprise announcement: a full $1 million donation. The company also offered fans a chance to win a new 2026 Palisade Hybrid SUV if they helped amplify the campaign by tagging a friend on a Hyundai post and using #HyundaiEpicSweepstakes.

Transervice awards $10,000 college scholarships for employees’ children

Transervice Logistics recently unveiled the recipients of the 2025 Transervice College Scholarship Awards for the upcoming spring term.

The $2,500 scholarships to children of its employees recognize students who have demonstrated academic achievement, dedication to their fields of study, and community involvement. Applicants were required to submit a compelling essay explaining why they deserved this scholarship.

The recipients of this year’s scholarship are as follows:

• Nicoletta Boik: Nursing major at Elmhurst University, daughter of Kevin Boik, mechanic at preferred services.
• Alexis Herman: Political science and communication arts and sciences major at Penn State, daughter of Gus Herman, GM at PPL.
• Sydney Schwartz: Elementary education major at Sauk Valley Community College, daughter of Jason Schwartz, driver at Dixon Transport.
• Josephine Starin: Education major at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, daughter of Clint Starin, multi-location manager.

“Our annual college scholarship program, now in its third year, is emblematic of Transervice’s commitment to supporting the growth and future success of our team members and their families,” Kari Beeson, VP of human resources, stated.

Chevron donates through women’s golf tournament

Chevron will be the title sponsor of the Chevron Championship, one of five major Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournaments. The Chevron Championship features world-class athletes and demonstrates the power of women’s excellence on and off the golf course.

The tournament takes place in Houston, Texas, a community the company has been part of for more than a century.

“This is more than golf. It’s an opportunity to inspire young girls, spotlight women athletes, and create inclusive spaces for everyone," Josetta Jones, chief diversity and inclusion officer, stated.

Chevron and the LPGA Foundation are supporting local organizations across the Houston area to empower women and girls in sports; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education; and professional development.

Chevron will donate $5 for each purchase of a Chevron Championship general admission Spectator Pass through SeatGeek to DonorsChoose, which will allocate these funds to classroom project requests from eligible schools in the greater Houston area.