Five Good Things in trucking: Highway Angels voting opens 2022

In an industry as essential as this, it's important to honor the "Knights of the Road" that often risk dangerous conditions to keep America moving. Companies know this, and this week many of them shared the message with the upcoming generation that trucking is a noble, rewarding profession.

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TCA Highway Angels voting opens

The Truckload Carriers Association is encouraging the public to vote for the professional truck driver who best embodies the spirit of its Highway Angel program, which recognizes truckers who show exemplary courtesy and courage on North America’s roadways. Highway Angels are nominated by their employers, fellow drivers, or the motorists they’ve assisted.

Voters can read the stories and cast their vote any time before Friday, Jan. 27.

The winner of the 2022 Highway Angel of the Year Award will be announced during TCA’s Annual Convention, Truckload 2023: Orlando, during the Awards Presentations & Lunch on March 6.

In addition to being recognized at TCA’s Annual Convention and receiving a personalized crystal truck trophy, the winner receives a complimentary EpicVue satellite TV package for their truck, including a 24-inch flatscreen TV, a DVR, and a one-year subscription to over 100 channels of DIRECTV programming, including premium channels such as HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime.

C.H. Robinson offers over $60,000 in scholarships

This year, the C.H. Robinson Foundation is offering 25 scholarships of $2,500 to employees and dependents of its 85,000 contract carriers. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 28. The program is open to employees or dependents of contract carriers that have been active as a C.H. Robinson carrier for a minimum of one year as of the application date.

“The C.H. Robinson Foundation was created to give back to our employees and our communities,” said Rachel Schwalbach, VP of ESG at C.H. Robinson. By providing scholarships to our contract carrier community, we are happy to support and help expand the educational success of C.H. Robinson carriers and their children.”

Applicants must be 16 to 24 or regular, full-time employees of a C.H. Robinson carrier and may pursue any undergraduate study.

ATA shares the road with students

The American Trucking Associations' Share the Road highway safety program met with Buffalo High School students in Buffalo, Texas, to teach over 300 students about trucking and safe driving with truckers from Werner and Yellow.

Vipar fosters the next generation of aftermarket experts

Parts provider Vipar Heavy Duty sponsored two Northwood University students to attend this year's Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW), which occurred this week, Jan. 16-19, in Grapevine, Texas.

The students, Ethan Moots and Lily Gromak, are juniors studying automotive aftermarket management at the Midland, Michigan, private university. They participated in activities taking place during HDAW alongside Vipar representatives as a way to learn more about career options available in the heavy-duty aftermarket space. The students had the opportunity to assist the Vipar team at their booth during and attend meetings and networking functions and experience the show floor.

"As the heavy-duty industry evolves, it is imperative that we foster young talent and provide opportunities for young people to experience all that the heavy-duty aftermarket industry can offer," said Jeff Paul, VP of marketing at Vipar.

Truckstop.com donates to halt human trafficking

In honor of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Truckstop made a donation to Truckers Against Trafficking, a nonprofit organization that helps to educate, equip, empower, and mobilize the trucking, bus, and energy industries to combat human trafficking. Truckstop stated in a press release

Truckers Against Trafficking publishes and distributes educational and training materials for the trucking, bus, and energy industries. The organization also partners with law enforcement and government agencies to facilitate the investigation of human trafficking while also leveraging the resources of their partners to combat the crime of human trafficking.

“We’re grateful for the support of Truckstop,” said Laura Cyrus, senior director of industry training and outreach at Truckers Against Trafficking. “They are not only financially supporting and partnering with us in this effort, but they are using their platform to help spread the word and encourage others in their network to get involved. The trucking industry has proven to be a leader in this fight, and while we have seen incredible success in getting people trained to recognize and report human trafficking, we need to continue to share this life-saving message with everyone in the industry. It is going to take everyone—truck drivers, corporate employees, regular members of the public, etc.—getting involved and being vigilant and invested to see the scourge of human trafficking end.”

“Truckstop is proud to support Truckers Against Trafficking, an organization that we have supported for many years, both as a corporation and through individual employee contributions,” said Truckstop CEO Kendra Tucker. “Human trafficking is a crisis that impacts the transportation community at large, and this organization has helped raise awareness by training nearly 1.5 million people to identify the signs of human trafficking. We have no doubt our donation will continue to help this especially worthy cause.”