Five good things that happened in trucking this week – July 10

The consequences of the novel coronavirus pandemic are starting to have a permanent effect. In New York, 20 schools in the Archdiocese of New York will not reopen, while three schools are set to merge. More retailers, such as Brooks Brothers, continue to file for bankruptcy. States are starting to revert on reopening plans as second waves of the virus hit all-time highs. Despite all of this, trucking never falters. Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.

Michigan Trucking Association donated $10,000 to The Rainbow Connection

Michigan Trucking Association’s (MTA) Detroit Chapter Equipment & Maintenance Council presented the children’s charity The Rainbow Connection with a $10,000 donation as its annual fundraisers have been canceled due to the pandemic. The charity, headquartered in Rochester, Mich., makes wishes come true for Michigan children with life-threatening medical conditions and provides support services to eligible wish families in need.

“The council has supported The Rainbow Connection for more than 15 years,” said Rick Krstich, president of the Detroit Chapter Equipment & Maintenance Council. “Usually, they receive funds at our annual golf outing but this year we had to cancel. We decided that we were not going to let the kids down, especially during this stressful time. The trucking industry continues to roll and so should The Rainbow Connection.”

XPO Logistics makes face masks to fight breast cancer

To support the fight against breast cancer, XPO Logistics has created branded products in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. For $10, customers can purchase a black or white reusable face mask, water bottle and/or t-shirt to benefit the foundation. All of the proceeds go to the foundation.

Young boy becomes knight thanks to UPS driver

With stay-at-home orders keeping families at home for the past several months due to the pandemic, parents have had to come up with creative ways to entertain their children.

Thanks to UPS and children's toy manufacturer, Melissa and Doug, this young boy now gets to fill his hours at home as a knight, jousting other imaginary knights, saving damsels in distress and slaying dragons.

Loadsmart announces winner of its Selfie Carrier Contest

At the height of “panic shopping,” many Americans left grocery stores with essentials feeling lucky. At the same time, many of the drivers who arrived with them were down on their luck. To bring some good luck to its drivers, Loadsmart held a #ThankATrucker Selfie #CarrierContest with a $500 prize from May 15-June 15.

According to Loadsmart, the outpouring of responses showed just how eager many drivers are to share their stories. After reading through the responses, one thing was clear: drivers were truly pushed to the limit during this pandemic. While most of America shut down, they were put in overdrive.

Meet the winner: Driver Rushan, of Dispatch 42, left home during the pandemic and started living in his truck. He’s been doing it for three months and is an incredibly hard worker. When Loadsmart spoke to Nick at Dispatch 42, he said: “Man, Rushan was feeling really unlucky…maybe his luck has changed.”

Watch this video from Rushan below.

Mack Trucks creates custom truck wraps for NASCAR Salutes to honor military, front-line heroes

Mack Trucks unveiled two customized truck wrap designs for its Mack Anthem haulers as part of the NASCAR Salutes campaign. NASCAR Salutes is an annual demonstration of gratitude and respect for the men and women who serve and have served in the United States Armed Forces. In addition to military heroes, this year’s NASCAR Salutes effort will also honor front-line workers battling the coronavirus pandemic.

“We depend on the incredible efforts of our front-line heroes to help combat the coronavirus pandemic,” said John Walsh, vice president of marketing at Mack Trucks. “We at Mack are proud to show our support not only for those fighting the virus, but also for our Armed Forces as they work tirelessly to defend our country.”

Two of NASCAR’s Mack Anthem models will feature the winning wraps for the duration of the season.

“This year’s NASCAR Salutes platform is unique in that we’re recognizing all of those fighting to keep us safe – whether against COVID-19 or part of our U.S. Armed Forces,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, vice president of partnership marketing at NASCAR. “Our industry has tremendous respect for the responsibility in hosting events across the country during this unprecedented time, and as we travel to and from those races, Mack Trucks will help us recognize those selfless acts.”