Five Good Things: Industry supports drivers, veterans, and more

XPO donates school supplies

Earlier this month, XPO wrapped up its annual school supply drive, a network-wide effort to collect in-demand supplies for underprivileged schools and children in XPO communities during the “back to school” rush.

This year, nearly 200 XPO locations across the U.S. participated. Over 56,000 school supplies, valued at more than $115,000, were donated by the company's employees. These supplies included pencils, composition notebooks, crayons, markers, glue sticks, and more.

OOIDA’s Truckers for Troops joins Wreaths Across America’s Truckloads of Remembrance

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s Truckers for Troops recently announced its participation in the nationwide Truckload of Remembrance in partnership with Wreaths Across America.  

With this new partnership, Truckers for Troops is registered as a WAA payback Sponsorship Group supporting the efforts for wreath placement at Arlington National Cemetery. The Truckload of Remembrance seeks to fill a trailer load of sponsored veterans’ wreaths. One trailer load is approximately 5,000 wreaths, which will be laid at the final resting place of service members as part of National Wreaths Across America Day on December 14.

Each year, WAA partners with more than 300 transportation companies that help move the mission. These companies, many of which are small-business truckers, donate equipment, fuel, staffing, and time to deliver loads of wreaths for the headstones of the nation’s service members at more than 4,200 participating cemeteries.

Wreath sponsorships are $17 each, and Truckers for Troops will receive back $5 per sponsorship for care packages and veteran services.

Trucking Cares Foundation donates $25,000 to fight human trafficking

The Trucking Cares Foundation recently donated $25,000 to TAT, the nonprofit organization formerly known as Truckers Against Trafficking, which is dedicated to ending human trafficking.

“The depravity of human trafficking is unfathomable. By partnering with law enforcement, motor carriers and truck drivers can vastly expand the reach of rescue efforts, bringing eyes and ears to every corner of the country,” John Lynch, American Trucking Associations’ SVP of federation relations, said.  “The training that TAT provides harnesses truck drivers’ innate sense of compassion and routine vigilance to help them spot victims along their routes over the nation’s highways.  This partnership has saved countless victims from exploitation.  The Trucking Cares Foundation is proud to support TAT’s lifesaving mission through this donation.”

Human trafficking is prevalent in all 50 states, and the number of victims in the United States is estimated in the hundreds of thousands. 

See also: CVSA releases 2024 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative results

Members of Bennett's Emergency Rapid Response Team honored for saving a driver's life

The Bennett Family of Companies’ Bennet Emergency Rapid Response Team was recently honored by the company for saving a life.

On May 10 at 7:59 a.m., an employee contacted Jessica Mills, BERRT Team command staff and former helicopter mechanic in the U.S. Marine Corps, to alert her that one of the drivers was not feeling well. Mills found him unresponsive in his truck and immediately acted. She checked his vitals, including his blood sugar, and noticed he was incoherent.

With the assistance of Luke Gaouette, BERRT member and former PATRIOT Missile Operator in the U.S. Army, they moved the driver to a safer location. When the driver stopped breathing and lost his pulse, Luke administered CPR. Thanks to their actions, he was revived and taken to the hospital.

“I am happy to advise that this Bennett driver is doing well,” said Marcia Taylor, owner and CEO of the Bennett Family of Companies. “I am proud of each member of BERRT and their prompt, professional response to save lives and provide a safe working environment each day.”

Bridgestone supports athlete equipment at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

Bridgestone is extending its support for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 through a series of projects in collaboration with adaptive athletes.

Bridgestone became a Worldwide Paralympic Partner in 2018 and has focused both globally and locally on making sports and society more inclusive. Bridgestone is now expanding those efforts by leveraging its rubber, materials, and design expertise to help enhance rubber components for certain adaptive sports equipment. The list of rubber-related pieces that select athletes in Paris will use includes gloves for multiple sports, hand rims for wheelchair racing, tires for wheelchair tennis, and more.

This work helps highlight the challenges faced by many adaptive athletes when it comes to accessing equipment. In a recent survey commissioned by Bridgestone Americas, 61% of respondents stated it is difficult for them to find or source the adaptive sports equipment and accessories they need.

“Bridgestone believes in the power of sport to have a positive and lasting impact, especially for younger athletes and those with disabilities. Unfortunately, we know not everyone has the same level of access to participate,” said Sara Correa, chief marketing officer for Bridgestone in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “We are determined to help remove barriers and create more equitable access to sports because we know the benefits of participation translate far beyond the field of play. No matter a person’s background or ability, what really matters is contributing to our communities by giving everyone a chance to participate and perform at their best.”

Bridgestone collaborated with Paralympic athletes in the U.S. and Japan to develop, test, and evolve various rubber equipment pieces using the same rubber found in its latest generation ENLITEN tires. Engineers at Bridgestone’s technology centers in the Americas (Akron, Ohio) and Japan (Kodaira City, Tokyo) have created rubber pads for wheelchair racing gloves, wheelchair rugby gloves, rubber hand rims for wheelchairs, rubber soles for prosthetic running blades, and wheelchair tennis tires.

In all, Bridgestone is currently supporting 20 current and retired Paralympians as Team Bridgestone athlete ambassadors. This includes 17 who will be competing at Paris 2024. A total of 10 medals have been collected by the decorated group during the last three Paralympic Games.