Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a global movement that inspires millions to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. On this year's Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, the trucking industry, with its history of charitable giving, answered the call by ensuring both industry workers and the less fortunate were taken care of on the giving holiday that precedes the holiday season.
Mack celebrates road dogs
Mack Trucks donated $100,000 to the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to create a matching fund for Giving Tuesday.
The effort kicks off Mack Trucks’ Partners for the Ride social media campaign that showcases how pets enrich their owners’ lives by joining them as partners for the ride of life. Mack truck owners and drivers are asked to post photos of their pets and their truck on social media channels using the hashtag #partnersfortheride with a link to donate to the ASPCA.
“A brand with a bulldog in its logo may seem like an obvious fit with the ASPCA,” said Rich Million, Mack Trucks SVP of strategy and business development. “The truth is many of our owners have animals, and they bring them on the road for companionship. We want to support organizations that are important to our customers and our employees. The ASPCA is a perfect example.
“We can’t think of a better day to announce our support of the ASPCA than Giving Tuesday,” Million said. “It is an internationally recognized day to encourage people to give back to their communities. This is one way for Mack to help an important cause that aligns with both our customers and corporate values.”
The ASPCA assists animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary community through research, training, and resources.
“Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to turn compassion into action, and the ASPCA is excited to be working with Mack Trucks to celebrate the human-animal bond and help vulnerable animals this holiday season,” said Matthew Carroll, senior manager of cause partnerships and events, ASPCA.
Mack Trucks Director of Brand Management Jim Leon said, “A lot of drivers count on pets to keep them company on the road. With Partners for the Ride, we’re doing our part to share all the good things that happen when you bring a pet into your life. We know the ASPCA is more than just pets and shelters. They’re fixtures in the communities they serve. To be a part of their relocation efforts, community assistance, and disaster relief is something we’re proud to support.”
Love's helps the homeless with CASA
Love’s Travel Stops took part in Giving Tuesday by donating $25,000 to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Oklahoma County, a volunteer program that provides trained adults with opportunities to advocate for children who have been removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse. This year’s Giving Tuesday donation recipient was voted on by Love’s corporate employees in Oklahoma City.
“We are honored to extend our Giving Tuesday donation to CASA of Oklahoma County,” said Jenny Love Meyer, chief culture officer and EVP of Love’s. “The impact their organization has on children is so significant and truly stands out to our employees because we know the importance of fostering our youth.”
Throughout the year, Love’s and its corporate employees provide support to kids across Oklahoma City by tutoring, throwing parties for, and donating to Ridgeview Elementary School and Positive Tomorrows, Oklahoma’s school for children experiencing homelessness.
The St. Christopher fund's tees for truckers
The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) has partnered with the Driver Solutions CDL training program to launch a holiday t-shirt promotion to aid truck drivers in need this holiday season.
The limited-edition “Hammer Down 4 Truckers” t-shirts will be available on the RoadWarriors community page for truckers, with 100% of the proceeds donated to the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund.
The tri-blend shirt is produced in partnership with Scott Custom Apparel. The shirts will be available for purchase now through the end of the year and will be shipped at the conclusion of the fundraiser.
“The mission of the RoadWarriors’ community is to bring drivers together in a positive and helpful atmosphere, so I can’t think of another organization that embodies this same philosophy more than St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund,” said Derek McClain, digital marketing manager, Driver Solutions. “As we were looking for ways to help truckers and their families this holiday season, we decided to be bold by proclaiming it’s time to ‘Hammer Down 4 Truckers’ who do so much for us. And what better way to do that than through the creation of a t-shirt that brings everyone together, with all proceeds from sales going to St. Christopher Fund.”
The SCF stated in a press release that it is the only national nonprofit that provides short-term relief to Class A OTR drivers suffering from an illness or injury that took them out of work within the last year. The SCF also provides several free preventative health and wellness programs for OTR drivers in an effort to keep them on the road, including tobacco cessation, diabetes prevention, and flu, pneumonia, and shingles vaccines.
“We are so grateful and excited to work with the team at Driver Solutions on this holiday promotion,” said Shannon Currier, director of philanthropy at St. Christopher. “The holiday season is a particularly tough time for drivers who are out there away from their families continuing to move our country. This is the perfect time of year to show them our appreciation and help raise funds to support those in need.”
“At RoadWarriors, we don’t see this as just a one-time fundraiser. We see it as a proclamation that we’re kicking off a partnership with St. Christopher to continue giving back to the trucking community year-round,” added McClain.
Bendix demonstrates the value of a career in transportation
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems collaborated with the Ohio education nonprofit Effective Leadership Academy (ELA) to welcome 18 Lorain County high school students to Bendix’s new North American headquarters for an event highlighting opportunities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) and manufacturing.
During the visit, the high school juniors and seniors were taught the possibilities of careers in those fields and the paths for pursuing them professionally.
The ELA team provided a leadership curriculum for the first part of the program, followed by a panel discussion featuring Bendix professionals sharing their stories and answering questions. Students then toured the Bendix campus, which is home to 650 employees who oversee research, development, engineering, testing, administration, and marketing for the company.
ELA is an educational nonprofit that teams with schools and youth-serving community partners to provide students and educators with a curriculum for 21st-century skills development and reinforcement for social, emotional, and workforce development abilities.
“Partnering with ELA is a perfect fit,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “We are proud to open our doors to local students and have the privilege of showing firsthand the wide variety of possibilities available to them in our common community. It’s important for young people to hear diverse perspectives and voices and to see opportunity where they live—and not just in engineering, but in finance, supply chain and purchasing, human resources, and other fields where we aim to excel every day.”
For the event, ELA partnered with the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce and local school districts to provide its leadership and workforce readiness program, called the Chamber Leadership Academy. Through the program, ELA works with local chambers of commerce, area municipalities, elected officials, and business leaders to turn a city into a classroom. Students receive ELA’s hands-on, activity-based leadership curriculum for enhancing personal development.
“Our visit to Bendix was a unique and enriching opportunity for students that met the program’s mission of transforming our community into a classroom,” said Flo Brett, ELA founder and executive director. “The students are eager to learn of professional excellence and prospects in their own backyards. These experiences are only possible with valuable partnerships, and we are grateful to Bendix for opening its doors to these young people for a truly eye-opening day that broadened their scope of what they can achieve.”
During the panel discussion, three Bendix professionals provided perspectives on their educational and professional paths: Esin Cubukcu, manager of materials testing and analysis; Mark Kromer, VP of air supply and drivetrain in North America; and Deborah Lindsey, scrum master.
“Hearing from panelists, from many walks of life, is especially important as students consider their own futures, seek to build connections and mentors, and practice their soft skills,” Brett said. “The panelists’ stories were inspiring and heartwarming—and proved to be fertile ground for conversation for our student leaders.”
The event at Bendix is part of a five-day ELA sequence hosted in a different location each day and anchored by different central themes. ELA has grown from partnering with three schools in 2008 to developing relationships with over 230 school/community organizations and impacting over 42,000 students.
“It’s said, ‘You can’t become what you can’t see,’” Gutierrez said. “It’s vital to provide students and young leaders chances to be welcomed into different environments where they can see themselves thriving. It can open up their world.”
Last chance to enter for TCA's Professional Drivers of the Year award
This is the last week for fleets to nominate a driver to receive a Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Professional Drivers of the Year award. The deadline to nominate is Dec. 7. Five drivers will win the award and a $20,000 cash prize for a total payout of $100,000.
TCA is searching for drivers with strong safety records who are role models and have inspiring stories for others in the industry. Each fleet can nominate up to five currently-employed drivers, although there can be only one winner per fleet. Winners will be announced at TCA’s 2023 annual convention in Orlando March 4-7.
