"For the greater good"—a phrase commonly used when describing an act performed to benefit all—has been adopted by the trucking industry week by week through a variety of donations, awards, scholarships, and more. Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.
Kenworth T880 concrete pump truck raises $540,000 donation for CIM
A Kenworth T880 concrete pump truck, which was donated for sale at the recent Concrete Industry Management (CIM) annual auction at World of Concrete, produced a $540,000 contribution for the CIM program. Kenworth, Alliance Concrete Pumps, and NorCal Kenworth combined on the donation.
The Kenworth T880 concrete pump truck was purchased by J.K. Hammack, a residential concrete pumping company based in Celeste, Texas. The purchase price for the T880 concrete pump package exceeded market value by $105,000.
The CIM program’s goal is to educate more than 500 students in all aspects of the concrete industry and provide them the opportunity to enter a field that has an urgent need for professionals with the skills to meet the growing demands of the industry.
“It’s important to provide opportunities for students who will build infrastructure projects in America, and CIM does a tremendous job of this through its programs,” said Clayton White, Alliance Concrete Pumps president and CEO. “We’re pleased that this auction generated a major donation to the CIM program which will help support the program and its students.”
WIT calls for 2022 Driver of the Year nominations
Women In Trucking is seeking nominations for its annual Women In Trucking Driver of the Year award, which is sponsored by Walmart. The third-annual award recognizes outstanding female professional drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively working to enhance the public image of the trucking industry.
“Each year we become more amazed at both the quality and the quantity of drivers nominated for this prestigious award,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. “If you know of a female driver who deserves to be recognized, we ask that you submit her information so we can recognize her for her exceptional service to the industry.”
Requirements include:
- The application is open to any female driver who has safely driven at least 1 million consecutive, accident-free miles.
- Nominations are open to owner-operators and company drivers.
- The driver must be nominated by the motor carrier by which she is currently leased or employed and must have three years of experience with that company.
- A personal statement explaining in 250 words or less why they should be selected.
- At least three letters of recommendation explaining in 250 words or less why the driver should be selected.
- Two print-quality photographs (300 dpi).
The finalists and overall winner will be recognized at the 2022 Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS). The winner, who will receive a plaque, commemorative ring, and more, will be chosen based on her safety record, positive community contributions, and impact on the public image of the trucking industry.
CFI reveals 2022 driver pay increase, fleet purchase plans
CFI revealed a new driver compensation program to align driver pay for consistency across its trucking operations. Under this plan, drivers for CFI Truckload and CFI Temp-Control will receive an increase of 2 cents per mile. Driver personnel can also qualify for extra earnings from incentive bonuses based on safety and productivity performance, retention and years of service, as well as recruiting referrals.
In addition, the company is acquiring 770 Kenworth T-680 Next Gen tractors, equipped with safety technologies and driver conveniences most in demand by today’s professional truck drivers. The company also is purchasing 250 new 53-foot trailers, including 100 dry-van general freight trailers, and 150 refrigerated trailers supporting the growth of CFI Temp-Control.
CFI deploys nearly 3,000 professional drivers operating a fleet of over 3,900 tractors and more than 10,000 53-foot dry-van trailers throughout the U.S. and Canada, with cross-border service to Mexico. The company also contracts with about 700 owner-operators.
“Our drivers persevered through another challenging year, providing consistent, superior service,” said Greg Orr, president of CFI. “Our fleet investments and compensation increases reflect their excellent performance and our goal of supporting them as one of the industry's safest carriers and the preferred destination for professional drivers.”
Fullbay Cares reveals 2021 charitable contributions, looks to support more in 2022
Fullbay, the turnkey platform that improves the operational efficiency of heavy-duty repair shops, continued its practice of providing educational resources, marketing support and nearly $30,000 in donations to deserving charitable organizations through its Fullbay Cares initiative in 2021.
Established in 2020 as a way to give back to the heavy-duty community, Fullbay Cares chooses one organization per month to not only provide a monetary donation, but also bring more overall awareness by writing blogs, conducting interviews, and promoting through social media and events. For every sign-up Fullbay receives that month, a donation is made to a designated charity. Since the initiative began in 2020, Fullbay Cares has provided close to $56,000 in funding to numerous deserving organizations.
“When COVID shut down a good majority of the country, we were looking for a different way to deploy our budget to make a difference,” said Jacob Findlay, co-founder and executive chairman of Fullbay. “We pick organizations based on feedback from our customers, so not only are they important to us, but also important to the industry.”
Some organizations Fullbay Cares donated to in 2021 include Truckers Against Trafficking, Trucker Buddy, Operation Roger, American Transportation Research Institute, Tech Force, Truckers Final Mile, Folds of Honor, and more.
Beyond donations, Fullbay Cares released Truck Tales, a children’s book that chronicles a day in the life of Dan the Technician, their way of shining a positive light on the heavy-duty industry, and a full-size coloring book featuring heavy-duty related vehicles and scenes. The company plans to release a sequel to the children’s book in 2022.
Bendix, KBGCNA commit $80,000 to vocational nursing program in Mexico
Knorr-Bremse Global Care North America (KBGCNA) and the Bendix Foundation have donated $80,000 to the federally funded technical nursing education program at the Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios No. 54 (CBTIS), a local vocational high school.
The grant, which is being distributed to the school in two installments, supports its newly implemented Nursing Vocational Technical Education program. The first class of 160 students enrolled in the program began their studies in August of 2021.
The first $45,000 installment of grant funding from Bendix and KBGCNA was transferred in early 2021 and was used to cover the costs of equipment and supplies for the program, such as patient simulators and other training supplies and resources. The second installment of $35,000, awarded in late 2021, will help to cover the cost of additional equipment and supplies.
“We’re exceptionally proud to support the new technical nursing education program at CBTIS in Acuña and are so excited about the impact it will have, both for local students and for the greater community,” said Maria Gutierrez, president of KBGCNA and director of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Bendix. “This new program is one that can help the community fill its current and vital need for medical professionals and has also resulted in a much-needed education program that’s far more accessible to local students in terms of its cost.”
