Five Good Things: Trucking supports veterans, children, students, and more

Truckers for Troops supports veterans in St. Louis

Recently, Truckers for Troops, a care package program hosted by OOIDA, delivered 125 backpacks to the Veterans Community Project in St. Louis, Missouri. The backpacks contained snacks and hygiene kits and were delivered in the OOIDA Spirit Tour Truck. 

The fundraising effort has been an OOIDA tradition since 2007, originally dedicated to sending care packages to service personnel stationed in combat zones. Truckers for Troops has also helped a variety of veterans facilities that assist or house wounded, disabled, or homeless service members.

Over the past 17 years, OOIDA has raised more than $800,000 and sent more than 3,273 care packages, serving more than 39,276 members of the military. The organization has also sent aid packages to 65 different facilities caring for wounded, disabled, and homeless veterans, including the Veterans Community Project. The VCP began in Kansas City and plans to have locations in every state. Currently, it has locations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Longmont, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri; and other states.

Women In Trucking Association names 2024 Top Woman-Owned Businesses in Transportation

Redefining the Road magazine, the official magazine of the Women In Trucking Association, recently announced the recipients of the 2024 Top Woman-Owned Businesses in Transportation.

“There is a significant economic impact of woman-owned businesses,” said Brian Everett, group publisher and editorial director of Redefining the Road magazine. “In fact, in the United States alone, there are nearly 14 million woman-owned businesses accounting for nearly 40% of all small businesses. These businesses are thriving due to the entrepreneurial strengths and skill sets of these driven women owners. Woman-owned businesses employ millions of people and generate some $2.7 trillion in annual revenue.” 

Criteria used to identify qualified applicants include majority ownership by a woman, financial stability and growth, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit, according to Everett. Each company was nominated and chosen based on business success and accomplishments, including those related to gender diversity.

“It's a privilege for Women In Trucking Association to honor the 2024 Top Woman-Owned Businesses in Transportation,” said Jennifer Hedrick, president and CEO of WIT. “These 15 companies exemplify outstanding business practices and innovation and are led by female pioneers in this industry.”

Companies named to the 2024 Top Woman-Owned Businesses in Transportation list and the primary female business owners are: 

• AGT Global Logistics (Angela Eliacostas, founder and president)
• Andy Transport (Andreea Crisan, president and CEO)
• Aria Logistics (Arelis Bonilla, founder and president)
• Bennett Cartage Consultants, Inc., Evans Delivery Jacksonville (Tammy Bennett, president)
• Bennett Family of Companies (Marcia G. Taylor, CEO)
• Brenny Transportation, Inc. (Joyce Brenny, founder and CEO)
• Garner Trucking, Inc. (Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, president and CEO)
• Hassett Logistics (Michelle Halkerston, president and CEO)
• HTR Logistics (Lindsey Haught, founder and president)
• Kirsch Transportation Services, Inc. (Camilla Moore-Kirsch, founder and CEO)
• Partners Funding, Inc. (Sherri DeJong, vice president, co-founder and co-owner)
• Powersource Transportation (Barb Bakos, owner and president)
• Rihm Family Companies (Kari Rihm, president and CEO)
• S-2international LLC (Jennifer Mead, CEO)
• Tucker Freight Lines (Sauny Tucker, CEO)

The 2024 Top Woman-Owned Businesses in Transportation will be recognized during a special program at the upcoming Women In Trucking Accelerate! Conference & Expo, which takes place November 10-13 in Dallas, Texas.

RNR Tire Express donates $2 million to Arkansas Children's Hospital

Lynn and Don Parker, the largest franchisees of RNR Tire Express, a franchise retailer for tires and custom wheels, recently donated $2 million to the Arkansas Children's Hospital. This comes on the heels of their $1 million dollar donation back in 2019 and a commitment to another $1 million future donation, bringing their total donation over the last five years to $4 million.

The donations made by the Parkers and their three daughters, Clara, Anna, and Sydney, will be used as part of the hospital's $318 million expansion project.

"My wife and I have worked hard and been blessed in life, and we both believe it is important to give back to the community," Don said. "We have experienced first-hand the benefits of the philanthropic giveback to the hospital, so being able to provide that same support to kids and their families is an opportunity we are grateful to have."

Lynn, who grew up in Parkin, Arkansas, has been involved with ACH for the last 34 years. She began as a member of the auxiliary team, checking out books to patients and families while she was in law school in Little Rock. After moving to Jonesboro in 1995, Lynn quickly found her way back to ACH through Circle of Friends, and she has since served on the board of the Arkansas Children's Foundation since 2019.

In addition to the expansion of the hospital, the donation will be used to increase bed capacity, transform inpatient and outpatient surgical approaches with the addition of an ambulatory center, redesign clinical spaces to promote multidisciplinary care, and create an inviting and accessible campus experience.

"The Parkers are the epitome of what the RNR brand stands for," said Larry Sutton, founder of RNR Tire Express. "They represent their community and brand at an exceptional level. We are proud to have them as part of the RNR family."

See also: Product Spotlight: Latest in truck tires for 2024

Solar panels cool children’s home in Mexico thanks to Knorr-Bremse Global Care North America

Acuña, Mexico, is one hot place during the summer, with temperatures often exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A local children’s home, Casa Hogar Esperanza, found the cost of running its air conditioning units to be prohibitive after a local company that had been paying for the electricity changed leadership and ended its charitable support. The home tried to keep the children cool by using the units only sparingly.

Enter Knorr-Bremse Global Care North America, an independent organization operating as the North American arm of a global nonprofit organization, Knorr-Bremse Global Care.

KBGCNA contributed $107,350 in grant funding toward a 136-panel rooftop photovoltaic system to generate electricity for the home. The Bendix Foundation, directed by Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, contributed $28,200 to the project. Additionally, Bendix donated the solar panels, which reduced the overall project cost by $24,000. The grants funded the purchase and installation of the system and transformer, along with maintenance for 20 years, insurance, and remote oversight.

The system has begun going online in stages. Once the home can use 100% of the energy produced by the panels, the system is calculated to reduce electricity costs by almost 90% while enabling the operation of the HVAC units. Average monthly savings are expected to be about $2,500. The energy generation is so significant that the units will essentially run for free.

“Our support for Casa Hogar Esperanza and its children goes back many years, and we’re pleased to help meet their need for cost-efficient cooling,” said Maria Gutierrez, president of KBGCNA and senior director of environmental, social, and governance at Bendix. “The effort aligns with KBGCNA’s larger mission to contribute to the well-being of underserved populations in the surrounding communities of Knorr-Bremse’s North American companies. Making a positive difference in the communities we call home is incredibly important.”

Love’s paves early career pathways for interns

This summer, Love’s hosted 104 interns from 43 universities working in 17 different states. These interns have gained knowledge and hands-on experience during a big milestone year as Love’s continues to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

“Each year, our interns play a special role in learning from our team members while gaining real-world experience by bringing their innovative ideas and work ethic to the table as active contributors,” said Stephanie Shellabarger, Love’s supervisor of university recruiting. “It has been incredible to witness the growth of our intern programs as we strive to set interns up for success in their careers. We’re thankful for them sharing their talents and their summer with us.”

Interns in Oklahoma City, Love’s corporate headquarters, have gained experience in several business areas, such as merchandising planning, fuel quality, culture and inclusion and diversity, customer loyalty strategy, and more.

“Even though you learn in school, applying it to a real-life setting is completely different,” said Vi Banh, a Love’s benefits and compensation intern. “I have been able to do a lot of shadowing with different departments outside of benefits and within the HR realm. I've been able to learn a lot about how it's all connected and where I want to go in my career.”

Love’s 2024 interns were able to attend networking events, including the company’s 60th-anniversary employee appreciation celebration on campus. In addition, they had the opportunity to interact with company executives through town halls and volunteer with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

“My favorite event so far has been our volunteer event at the food bank,” said Tristan Schwartz, a Love’s data engineering intern. “It was really rewarding to help out the community, and we could really see the impact that we made.”

Love’s internship program goes far beyond its corporate headquarters in Oklahoma City. Musket and Trillium Energy interns in Houston have spent the summer learning about fuel trading and alternative fuels, including electric vehicle charging, while also giving back by volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club.

Love’s retail management interns have gained boots-on-the ground experience from their managers and teams, learning about customer service and running a store, while exemplifying the culture and values of Love’s.

Across all campuses and locations, interns were an invaluable part of Love’s award-winning culture.