Five good things that happened in trucking this week—Feb. 18
At the end of every week, those in the workforce can find themselves tired and exhausted from the week's events. This blog allows anyone and everyone to sit back and take in the good that transpired while they were busy at work, at home, at school, etc. So today, sit back and take in the good. Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.
CVSA increases scholarship award
In December 2021, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) board of directors voted to increase the award amount for the CVSA College Scholarship Award Program. This year, instead of five $1,000 college scholarship awards, CVSA will award $5,000 scholarships to two select outstanding high school seniors.
The 2022 CVSA College Scholarship Award Program is now open, and CVSA is accepting applications from high school seniors who will graduate this year and attend college as freshmen in the fall for the 2022-2023 semester.
“CVSA is pleased to announce the increase of the college scholarship awards,” said CVSA President John Broers of the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “The board made the decision to increase the award amount in consideration of the rising costs of college tuition and college-related expenses. With these $5,000 college scholarship awards, CVSA hopes to help two outstanding students on their path to academic and professional success in their chosen careers.”
In addition to a completed application form and high school transcript, applicants must submit two essays as well as two letters of recommendation. Applicants must be legal dependents of a current CVSA member (board members excluded), have a minimum high school grade point average equivalent of 3.0, and be a citizen or permanent legal resident of Canada, Mexico, or the U.S.
The CVSA College Scholarship Award selection committee will review completed applications and select two recipients based on the strength of the application and supporting materials, academic performance, volunteer work/community service, and extracurricular activities.
TCA names four Highway Angels
The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named Mark Giles, Anthony Scerbo and Lee Thomson, and Bruce Stremmel as Highway Angels for their heroic deeds on the road.
Giles, a professional truck driver with Decker Truck Line, was named a Highway Angel for aiding a young woman after she was dumped behind the parking lot of a truck stop. Read his full story here.
Drivers Scerbo and Thomson were named Highway Angels for helping a trainee who had a heart attack while driving. Read their full story here.
Stremmel, a driver with Tom Maceri & Son Produce, was named a Highway Angel for rescuing a fellow truck driver after a pre-dawn crash during a blinding snowstorm. Read his full story here.
UPS donates 19,000 pairs of socks
UPS donated about 19,000 pairs of socks to Wayside Christian Mission in Louisville, Kentucky. The socks will be given to the city’s homeless population.
It's the second year that UPS employees have joined forces for the Warming the Soles Project.
Socks are the most requested clothing item by homeless shelters.
"It's such a blessing to the homeless community," said Nina Moseley, COO of Wayside Christian Mission, told WDRB. "Socks are so necessary to keep their feet from frostbite, and we just very much appreciate all that they have done for us."
Wayside Christian Mission will also distribute some of the socks to other agencies that work with the homeless in the community.
TCA launches scholarship fund ahead of schedule
New this year, the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) Scholarship Fund has launched its online application significantly earlier than in years past, giving the fund the opportunity to be featured at high school award presentations, which are typically held in late Spring. The online application is now open through March 14.
The fund awards up to $6,250 per year, per full-time college student. In the 2021-22 school year, the TCA Scholarship Fund’s Board of Trustees awarded more than 55 students scholarships totaling more than $163,000.
Any student in good standing (minimum grade point average of 3.0) who will be attending an accredited, four-year college or university as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, and who is either the child, grandchild, or spouse of an employee or is an employee of a TCA member company or is the child, grandchild, or spouse of an independent contractor or an independent contractor affiliated with a TCA member company is encouraged to apply.
“I could not be more grateful for the opportunities the TCA has provided me through their scholarships,” said Blake Quinn, the 2018-19 recipient of the National Association of Independent Truckers (NAIT) Scholarship. “Because of the TCA, I’ve been able to put a lot more focus into my degree; I can’t begin to explain how much that has paid off.” Quinn, whose father works for Springfield, Missouri-based Prime Inc., received $6,250.
“College can be stressful enough, disregarding student loan debt,” shared Austin Wagner, TCA’s 2021-22 John Kaburick Scholarship recipient. “When you add that into the equation, students bear a heavy burden. Receiving a TCA scholarship this year has helped me to be at ease and allowed me to focus more intently on my schoolwork.” Wagner, who received $4,500, has ties to Birmingham, Alabama-based McLeod Software and is studying marketing/entrepreneurial studies.
Feeding Westchester reveals new truck design
The final results are in. On Feb. 15, Feeding Westchester, a food bank in Westchester County, New York, announced the winning design for its new Feeding Westchester delivery truck.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for their favorite design,” the food bank wrote in its announcement. “Your participation in our mission is appreciated every single day.”
According to the announcement, when the truck is finished, it will go on to deliver meals to the food bank’s community partners, pick up nutritious food from their retail partners, and help them to nourish members of the Westchester community in the fight against hunger.
