Five Good Things in trucking: New Year's 2023

The beginning of the year is a time of reflection and planning, but for the trucking industry, the work is non-stop to keep the country running. As companies hurry to continue hauling freight, there is still good news to be found in the bustle of a burgeoning year.

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St. Christopher's coffee fund

As a sponsor of the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund, Big Rig Coffee Co. will donate $1 from every sale to truckers who have been taken off the road by injury or illness in the past year.

The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) has addedBig Rig Coffee Companyas its new sponsor. The veteran-owned and operated coffee-on-order company will donate $1 for every sale to the St. Christopher Fund to help support truck drivers in need of assistance because injury or illness has taken them off the road within the last year.

“Big Rig Coffee Company’s desire is to give back from Day One and we are honored to be their chosen charity,” said Shannon Currier, director of philanthropy at SCF. “We look forward to building our relationship with Hunter and Gabriel and their team as we work together to help truck drivers and support the industry we all depend on.”

See also: Five Good Things: Trucking's 2022 holiday season of giving

“First and foremost, we know how important a good cup of coffee is to all the truck drivers out there," stated Hunter Wilson and Gabriel Massey, founders and CEOs of Big Rig Coffee Company. "It’s an essential part of waking up in the morning, and fueling the mind and body, keeping them focused and alert on the road. In our minds, it’s what keeps the wheels turning and the country running. That’s why we could not be more proud to support each and every one of you through the hard-working team at the St. Christopher Fund.”

Man unleashes abandoned dog into a new, beloved life

Rich DiFronzo and canine Roxy Lynn, whom he saved from being abandoned and tied to a tree.

The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named truck driver Rich DiFronzo, from Dallas, Pennsylvania, a Highway Angel for rescuing a malnourished and abandoned puppy tied to a tree at a New Jersey truck stop and nursing her back to health. DiFronzo drives for Barnhart Transportation in North East, Pennsylvania.

DiFronzo was at a truck stop in New Jersey and discovered a female puppy abandoned and tied to a tree.

“I fed her cheeseburgers because I asked everybody around whose dog it was and no one said anything,” DiFronzo said. “They said a guy was trying to sell the dog over the weekend, and I got there on Thursday—so to me, that’s five, six days that the dog has been there, tied to the tree.”

DiFronzo freed the puppy from the tree and took her home with him. Although she was skittish when he first approached her, she seemed relieved to be rescued.

“She stayed with me the whole week in the truck,” he said. “She couldn’t get enough cheeseburgers—she was starving.”

Di Fronzo took the puppy to the veterinarian as soon as he returned home to Pennsylvania. She was malnourished and needed several rounds of antibiotics. He spent over $500 to nurse the puppy, now named Roxy Lynn, to health. On Oct. 18th, she went to her forever home with a friend of DiFronzo’s.

“I’d do it again tomorrow,” he said. “I love animals, and you just don’t do that to animals.”

XPO saves soles

Less-than-truckload provider XPO Logistics has finished its third annual Soles4Souls shoe drive, which ran from Nov. 28 to Dec. 31.

Soles4Souls turns shoes and clothing into opportunities for people around the world.

XPO designated 142 of its U.S. sites to serve as collection points for new or gently used shoes donated by employees and the public. The company transported the shoes to Soles4Souls for distribution and has pledged a cash donation for each pair of shoes collected.

LaQuenta Jacobs, XPO’s chief diversity officer and Soles4Souls board member, said, “We launched our shoe drive on Giving Tuesday to call attention to the importance of collective acts of kindness. Soles4Souls has set a goal of providing shoes to a million and a half homeless children in the United States. Our employees want to make their impact as large as possible.”

Ryder raises $1 million for United Way

Ryder's annual United Way campaign is organized by employee volunteers who plan and execute five days of fundraising activities.

Ryder has raised more than $1 million in the company’s annual fundraiser for United Way, setting a record in the company’s more than 40-year history supporting the nonprofit. The total 2022 donation includes employee pledges and a contribution from the Ryder Charitable Foundation.

Each year, the workplace giving campaign is organized by Ryder executives and employee volunteers who plan and execute five days of fundraising activities, with donations being made through an online pledge portal. This year’s campaign, themed “Building a Stronger Community, Together,” was the third year the company implemented a fully virtual campaign for its more than 42,000 employees across the United States.

“It is continually an honor to watch Ryder employees go above and beyond to demonstrate how great the spirit of giving is across the company,” said Ryder chairman and CEO Robert Sanchez. “This year, we saw record employee participation and, for the first time in the 40-plus-year United Way relationship, Ryder will donate $1 million to the United Way to support local communities across the country where Ryder employees work and live.”

Funds raised through the annual campaign go to carefully vetted programs and organizations across the country, focusing on health, education, and financial stability. United Way uses these funds to find needs in the communities they support where they will be best served.

“We are extremely grateful to our long-standing partner Ryder, and its employees, that support the vital work of United Way in communities around the country,” said President and CEO of United Way Miami, Symeria T. Hudson. “The $1 million contribution is a significant high-water mark for Ryder, joining only the most committed organizations that support the wellbeing of their communities.”

“Providing support and giving back in the communities where Ryder employees work and live is an inherent part of our culture at Ryder,” added Sandy Hodes, Ryder’s SVP, chief procurement officer, and corporate development officer. “Our support will go to educational, healthcare, and financial resiliency organizations and initiatives that are doing the most to help communities. It will go toward helping people—our friends and neighbors—who simply need a little assistance making ends meet.”

NFI pledges for D&I

Company leaders at NFI have signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion commitment as part of the organization’s efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

CEO Sid Brown and his leadership team joined over 2,000 CEOs across the United States who have signed the pledge to take action to cultivate a workplace where employees feel welcomed and respected throughout the organization.

“When NFI set its strategic plan several years ago, D&I was one of the pillars,” said Brown. “Our pledge to the CEO Action for D&I initiatives is another sign of our commitment to create and maintain an inclusive environment. This is both a promise to our associates and the customers we serve. While this is a significant step for NFI, there is no end to our D&I journey. Instead, we continue to educate ourselves, improve daily, and grow together.”

A similar sentiment is shared by all signatories of the commitment, including Brown’s leadership team, each of whom is a company leader that agreed to implement the pledge within their work environments and among employees.

The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion is led by a steering committee of CEOs and leaders across the country. The coalition represents 85 industries in all 50 US States and millions of employees globally.