Five Good Things: Breast cancer awareness, tackling student hunger

The trucking industry isn’t having a slow start to 2024. Read about the industry’s latest good deeds in this week’s Five Good Things.

Please pass along good news for our weekly Five Good Things blog by email or through our LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter accounts.

Cox Automotive launches a campaign celebrating technician diversity and breast cancer awareness

Cox Automotive recently launched Project Pink, an initiative to celebrate diversity among its Fleet Services and Manheim technicians and support breast cancer awareness.

Project Pink features high-visibility pink uniforms for female technicians at Cox Automotive. Icie Hinton, a female trailer shop technician with Cox Automotive Fleet Services and a graduate of Cox Automotive’s FleeTec Academy, created this initiative to honor and recognize women’s crucial role in the transportation industry and as a sign of support for those fighting breast cancer.

“This pink uniform helps normalize the idea of a woman proudly wrenching,” Hinton said. “I hope these uniforms act as a catalyst to normalize women doing tough and dirty jobs that are traditionally perceived as exclusively masculine.”

Initially, eight female technicians received these pink uniforms. However, Cox Automotive envisions expanding this initiative and involving male allies to broaden its impact and reach. “On a granular level, this pink uniform is a conversation starter with my peers,” said Hinton. “It’s created meaningful connections with my coworkers who compliment my uniform colors and even jokingly express jealously saying, ‘How did you get a pink uniform? Where can I get my pink uniform?!’ It’s a great way to continue to build strong professional relationships with male colleagues in this small but meaningful way.”

ATA names 24 professional drivers as newest America’s Road Team Captains

The American Trucking Associations recently announced its new team of 24 professional truck drivers to the 2024-2025 America's Road Team. The drivers will serve as trucking industry ambassadors, traveling the country to spread the message of safe driving, while teaching about the trucking industry and its opportunities.

“This elite group of professionals rose to the top of their field through years of hard work, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to safety that is measured in millions of miles,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO. “These exceptional individuals embody an essential segment of the American workforce whose contributions are seen and felt by virtually everyone in this country. As these captains now head over the road with a new mission and a vital message to share, we take extreme pride in their achievements and know that our nation will learn many valuable lessons from them and the example they set for our entire industry.”

Founded in 1986, America’s Road Team is an elite group of professional truck drivers with superior safety records that represents the trucking industry. Captains, with support from their companies, dedicate time each month to attending industry events, speaking at schools, or meeting with policymakers on behalf of the trucking industry. The drivers on this year’s team hail from 14 different states, represent 14 different motor carriers, and have a total of 61.6 million accident-free driving miles.

The 2024-2025 America’s Road Team Captains are:

Ben Atkinson, ABF Freight System Inc., Florida
Willie Baylor, FedEx Freight, Indiana
Terry Bennett, ABF Freight System Inc., Florida
Perry Carter, Cargo Transporters Inc., North Carolina
Damon Evans, United Parcel Service, California
Dennis Hall, Tyson Foods Inc., Texas
David Hedicker, ABF Freight System Inc., Ohio
Lloyd Howell, TCW, Alabama
John Lemmons, United Parcel Service, Tennessee
Rodney McNew, Groendyke Transport Inc., Texas
Michael Middleton, Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., Tennessee
Peter Palczynski, Walmart Transportation, Illinois
Emily Plummer, Prime Inc., Missouri
Wayne Ponschke, United Parcel Service, California
Scott Post, FedEx Ground – Spartan Logistics, Minnesota
John Antoine Sadler, Walmart Transportation, North Carolina
Brian Sheehan, CRST The Transportation Solution Inc., Indiana
Molly Shultz, TransLand, Missouri
Anthony Tirone, Walmart Transportation, Florida
Chevelle Walker, Werner Enterprises, Florida
Bernard Wanyo, United Parcel Service, Pennsylvania
Michael Whitehead, FedEx Freight, South Dakota
James "Gragg" Wilson, United Parcel Service, Nevada
David Young, FedEx Freight, North Carolina

Taste of the NFL: A culinary extravaganza to help GENYOUth tackle student hunger

Taste of the NFL, presented by Frito-Lay, Quaker, and the PepsiCo Foundation, takes center stage during Super Bowl LVIII Weekend. Scheduled for February 10, 2024, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Keep Memory Alive event center in Las Vegas, the Super Bowl's largest purpose-driven culinary event will deliver a blend of cuisine and culture, with net proceeds benefiting GENYOUth's commitment to tackle youth hunger and food insecurity.

Taste of the NFL will feature the nation's hottest culinary talent and an all-star lineup of NFL Legends and players. World-class chefs Andrew Zimmern, Carla Hall, Tim Love, Lasheeda Perry, and Mark Bucher will host the event with more than 25 nationally renowned and locally loved Las Vegas chefs who are teaming up to tempt guests' taste buds with signature dishes, innovative beverages, and exclusive eat-and-greets.

Taste of the NFL will raise funds for GENYOUth's commitment to tackling youth hunger and food insecurity. Net proceeds from the event will benefit GENYOUth's Super School Meals initiative by supporting school nutrition programs and delivering critical school meal equipment packages to high-need schools throughout Nevada. In addition, Taste of the NFL proceeds will support school nutrition programs with equipment grants in all NFL Club markets nationwide.

"Giving back to the communities in which we live, work, and serve is a critically important part of our mission at PepsiCo," said Steven Williams, CEO, PepsiCo Foods North America. "Frito-Lay and Quaker, along with the PepsiCo Foundation, are proud to support GENYOUth's Taste of the NFL and its lead-up Super School Meals initiative that will provide schools with equipment and resources to help tackle food insecurity throughout the United States. We are dedicated to increasing opportunities to enhance nutrition security in communities across the country."

TEL donates truck to transport Remote Area Medical mobile clinic

Transport Enterprise Leasing recently donated a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia commercial truck to Remote Area Medical to power the nonprofit’s free pop-up clinics. The truck will transport RAM’s mobile clinic to locations throughout the region where the charity provides medical, dental, and vision care to the uninsured and underserved.

“There is a tremendous need for medical services for individuals without insurance or the money to get medical services in our society," said Victor Duggard, CFO at TEL. "This is where RAM fills the void. Partnering with a great organization like this is a great way for us to give back in our community.”

Founded in 1985, RAM has recruited more than 196,000 volunteer providers and support staff to treat nearly 1 million individuals, delivering free health care services valued at more than $195 million. Some clinics provide care through on-site providers, while others deliver care via telehealth services in Tennessee.

“RAM is grateful for this generous donation from Transport Enterprise Leasing,” said Chris Hall, RAM COO. “This commercial truck will allow us to continue to provide free, quality health care to those in need across the United States. As we expand our services and number of clinics, our fleet of tractor-trailers becomes an ever-growing, important aspect of delivering the care that countless individuals are seeking. Barriers exist for our patients in many different ways. With this truck, we are able to continue to remove those barriers that stand in the way of access to health care.”

Vipar Heavy Duty Family of Companies sponsoring Northwood University Students at HDAW

The Vipar Heavy Duty Family of Companies will sponsor two Northwood University students during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, providing hands-on experience and an immersive deep-dive into the aftermarket as part of a program that began in 2015.

“HDAW provides a near 360-degree perspective on the scale and scope of the aftermarket – including the many diverse and fulfilling career opportunities within it,” said Jeff Paul, Vipar Heavy Duty Family of Companies’ VP of marketing. “The program is very successful with introducing exceptionally talented students to the companies and people that make this such a great industry. We’re proud of our longstanding partnership with Northwood University and contributing to help foster future generations of aftermarket leadership.”

The Northwood University students being sponsored by the company this year are:

Jack Foster of Commerce, Michigan, a junior majoring in aftermarket automotive marketing and management and co-founder of Limitless Productions, a content development company.
Alexander Mazon of New York, a senior majoring in automotive marketing and management, currently serving as the general chair for the Northwood University International Auto Show.

During HDAW, Foster and Mazon will assist visitors at the Vipar Heavy Duty Family of Companies’ booth during the product expo, attend meetings and networking functions with distributors and supplier partners, and experience the show floor and many educational sessions.