Five good things happening this week in the trucking industry

There is always, somewhere, a trucking professional working to make the world a better place. Read on to discover how the industry's latest efforts support women, educators, and drivers.

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According to Tammie Dean, the program's goal is to support women in the industry and recruit more women for Lily Transportation.

Lily Transportation ramps up support for women in transportation

Lily Ladies, a program and community at Lily Transportation, is ramping up activity to support women in transportation.

According to Tammie Dean, recruiting manager and the founder of Lily Ladies, the program aims to support women in the industry and recruit more women for Lily Transportation.

“As a Class A CDL holder myself, I know what it’s like starting out in this industry as a woman,” Dean said. “We are a male-dominated industry. But as time has gone on, you see more and more females becoming drivers and getting into the transportation industry. I had the idea of, ‘What can we do with female drivers?’”

Dean told FleetOwner that this program has increased the number of female truck drivers at Lily Transportation due to its focus on listening to and informing women. In Dean’s experience, many women in the industry—drivers especially—are concerned about flexibility and safety.

Dean recently kicked off a new series on the group’s social media pages called Tammie’s Tips, which helps inform women drivers on safety topics, among other things. Along with this series, Lily Ladies has big plans to continue supporting women in the industry.

“We currently have monthly meetings, and most likely those will increase as we start picking up different things that we want to do,” Dean said. “But we’re going to start being a part of different events and shows to get Lily Ladies out there more with what we have to offer.”

One of the events Lily Ladies plans to attend is the Women In Trucking conference this fall to talk to the industry about the program and what it means to its members.

This is Gillmore’s second TCA Highway Angel award. He drives for Bison Transport out of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Truck driver named TCA Highway Angel for helping crash victims

The Truckload Carriers Association has named truck driver Darrin Gillmore from Barrie, Ontario, Canada, a TCA Highway Angel for stopping to help rescue several passengers from a fatal, multi-vehicle accident. This is Gillmore’s second TCA Highway Angel award. He drives for Bison Transport out of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

On May 2 at 4 p.m., Gillmore and his trainee, Omen Li, were traveling near Sintaluta, Saskatchewan, when they encountered a two-vehicle accident. Gillmore estimates he and Li arrived within 60 seconds of it happening.

“I had my student pull over, so I grabbed my fire extinguisher, my bolt cutters, and my first aid kit,” said Gillmore. “We went to the accident scene, and there was a lady that was fatally injured.”

A man involved in the wreck was out of his vehicle, so Gillmore and Li helped him lay down and get comfortable until EMS arrived. Then, the men helped cut the horn on one car and cut the battery to prevent a fire. There was a teenage boy in the accident who had been traveling with his now-deceased grandmother.

“We tried to keep the kid calm—obviously, he knew his grandma was dead,” Gillmore said. The men helped him out of his vehicle and tried to keep him calm and assess his injuries.

“We comforted him until the EMS showed up, and they took over from there,” he said.

Gillmore has been driving trucks for 20 years and has been at the scene of about three fatalities a year, he estimated.

“I’ve been to many, many, many accidents, and I always stop, and I always help—I just do my best,” he said.

The Kenworth Chillicothe plant raised more than $37,540 for the United Way of Ross County through sponsorships of the VIP area along the truck parade route and 50/50 raffle tickets.

Kenworth Chillicothe plant hosts third annual Kenworth Truck Parade

The Kenworth truck assembly plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, held what has now become the annual Kenworth Truck Parade in downtown Chillicothe. This year, the parade paid tribute to the plant’s 50th anniversary.

The 2024 Kenworth Truck Parade featured more than 60 new, classic, and customized Kenworth trucks, including a vintage 1923 Kenworth and models built in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, as well as present-day trucks manufactured at the Chillicothe manufacturing plant.

This year’s parade occurred during the plant’s 50th anniversary. Kenworth Chillicothe officially opened on March 4, 1974, and the plant’s first truck—a Kenworth W900—rolled off the assembly line a day later. To commemorate this milestone, the parade was led by the 1923 Kenworth and a very special passenger: Dan Murphy, parade grand marshal and 50-year Kenworth Chillicothe employee. Murphy, a well-known and respected plant employee, was hired just days after the plant first opened in 1974. He began as a production specialist, was promoted to section supervisor, and served as liaison engineer until his retirement in May of this year.

The final truck in the parade was a T680 high-roof sleeper specially wrapped in a design honoring the plant’s anniversary with historical images of Chillicothe, landmarks in the community, photos of the manufacturing plant, and past truck parades.

“The Kenworth Truck Parade has become a beloved June tradition in Ross County, made even more meaningful this year with the opportunity to celebrate 50 years of producing the World’s Best Trucks in Chillicothe,” said Jack Schmitt, Kenworth Chillicothe assistant plant manager. “We are grateful to this incredible community and the drivers who travel from near and far to make this special event so successful year after year.”

Leading up to the truck parade, the Kenworth Chillicothe plant held events at its facility for drivers and their families participating in and attending the parade. Drivers had an opportunity to tour the plant to see where many of Kenworth’s trucks are built. In addition, it hosted an employee event on the plant’s property during the day of the parade.

To support the local community, the Kenworth Chillicothe plant and the United Way of Ross County teamed up to coordinate a 50/50 raffle, with proceeds going to the United Way of Ross County. During the parade, Kenworth Chillicothe employees and members of the United Way of Ross County walked around the event to sell raffle tickets. The Kenworth Chillicothe plant also raised money for the nonprofit organization through sponsorships of the VIP area along the truck parade route. In total, more than $37,540 was donated to the United Way of Ross County.

ATG provides cooperative education and internship opportunities for students, enabling them to gain industry experience at its Shrewsbury facility and other locations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Advantage Truck Group donates for diesel engine training

Advantage Truck Group recently donated a 6.7L Cummins diesel engine along with transmissions and air brake boards to Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton, Massachusetts.

“This equipment will make ideal training aids for students in our diesel classes,” Michael Godowski, BVT diesel instructor, said. “Disassembling the transmissions and engine will help students identify parts and see how everything works, and the air brake boards will serve as both training aids and testing tools for the students to better understand the different functions of the system.”

The donation is part of ATG’s commitment to help address the shortage of diesel technicians and support training and workforce development efforts.

“It is critical to support education and training of diesel technicians at every level, and donating equipment to schools like Blackstone Valley Tech helps expand learning experiences for students interested in this career,” said ATG network trainer Matthew McCuin.

Samsara announces Connected Operations Awards

Samsara announced the winners of its 2024 Connected Operations Awards, which honor organizations that use Samsara’s platform for their exceptional safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

“Our Connected Operations Award winners are leading the way in transforming their organizations and industries with a combination of technology, strategy, and creativity," said Lara Caimi, president of Worldwide Field Operations at Samsara. "We are honored to be part of their story and celebrate their impact on the world’s foundational industries.”

The winners of each category are: