Five Good Things: Hurricane Helene relief

Estes Express Lines donates $300,000 to Child Life Zone at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Estes recently donated $300,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. This donation will support the soon-to-open Child Life Zone, a space dedicated to the social and emotional well-being of patients during their hospital stays. Estes’ gift specifically funds the medical play space and multi-sensory room within the Child Life Zone.

“As a family-focused company, we’re committed to supporting children’s health and finding new ways to bring that support to life here in Richmond and throughout Estes’ network,” said Carrie Johnstone, VP of customer experience and innovation. “Whether we’re supporting CHoR locally or making an impact nationally through CMNH, we believe children deserve the best medical care and hospital experience, and we’re proud to step up to help ensure that’s exactly what kids receive.”

Last week, Estes celebrated its annual spirit week with the theme “Estes for Good.” On Thankful Thursday during spirit week, an Estes truck delivered hundreds of books to fill CHoR’s book carts, which are placed throughout the hospital and supported through donations. The books provide a happy distraction and comfort while children receive care.

“Partners like Estes are truly life-changing for CHoR. They understand the magnitude that children’s health plays in a community, and they continue to show up for the cause they believe in,” Lauren Moore, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation, said.

Norfolk Southern donates $100K to Red Cross, activates Employee Disaster Relief Program

Norfolk Southern Corp. has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support the organization's massive, multi-state relief efforts for Hurricane Helene. In addition, the company's Employee Disaster Relief Program is providing impacted employees with grants for qualified disaster-related losses and expenses.

"Our thoughts are with everyone navigating the aftermath of Helene, and our actions are in support of our employees, customers, and the communities where we all live and work," Mark R. George, Norfolk Southern president and CEO, said. "We are committed to supporting the American Red Cross in delivering immediate relief and long-term recovery. Our Employee Disaster Relief Program will provide financial aid directly to Norfolk Southern railroaders who have been affected, and we are working hard to get all impacted routes back online so we can provide access to those communities."

Norfolk Southern has supported Red Cross relief efforts for nearly two decades and is an official Disaster Responder partner. Each year, the company donates $250,000 to the Red Cross through the Annual Disaster Giving Program, and this additional $100,000 contribution reinforces that commitment during this time of intense need.

The company is also encouraging its employees to contribute, matching donations two to one, and will continue to host blood drives throughout the year to support the Red Cross mission.

R&J Trucking hosts donation drive in wake of Hurricane Helene

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, residents of western North Carolina have been left without access to food, water, and other essential items. To offer some relief, R&J Trucking Inc. is hosting a donation drive. 

“We’re going about our normal day-to-day lives here, and you have people in areas that don’t know what their next hour holds, let alone their tomorrows,” said Jared Pauley, operations manager of R&J Trucking’s plastics division. “So, we’re really trying to focus on that, and we’re people helping people. These are communities that are just wiped away, so we want to use our resources to help these individuals and communities.”

They are currently accepting the following items:

• Canned, non-perishable food items
• Hand sanitizer
• Toiletries
• Cleaning supplies
• Pet food
• Diapers
• Baby formula

Many companies have already donated pallets of water and food for the drive. A Warren Middle School teacher will hold a food drive to help R&J Trucking gather donations. Wetz Warehousing is allowing R&J Trucking to use two semi-trailers to ship the donations to North Carolina.

See also: Fleets Explained: What are the trucking industry’s organizations?

Finalists announced for 2024 Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award 

Finalists for the 9th annual “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence” award were recently announced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, Kenworth Truck Company, and Fastport. This award honors military veterans who have transitioned into the commercial trucking industry. 

Ten semi-finalists were honored last week in Ohio, where they embarked on stops at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus and the Kenworth Chillicothe truck manufacturing plant. Highlights of the trip included a live appearance on Road Dog Trucking Radio’s Dave Nemo Show with Jimmy Mac and an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Kenworth’s truck-building facility.

Here are the 2024 finalists: 

• Douglas Couch, U.S. Navy (E-5), Roehl Transport Inc., Roehl Transport Training. Couch served in the U.S. Navy 2012-2016 on board the USS Nimitz CVN 68. Douglas worked as a Culinary Specialist 2nd Class. Since transitioning into the trucking industry, Couch has driven more than 150,000 miles and has a dedication to safety.
• Brian Ferguson, U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard (E-7), Melton Truck Lines, Troops Into Transportation. After serving in the Army for three years, Ferguson joined the Texas National Guard and served more than 10 years. Ferguson re-enlisted in the Army and served 17 years until he retired with 31 years of service. Ferguson pursued a truck driving career because he enjoys traveling and working flatbed driving.
• Shawn Haley, U.S. Marine Corps (E-4), Veriha Trucking LLC, Truck Driving Institute. Haley served in the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991. During this time, he served as security for President Ronald Reagan, First Lady Nancy Reagan, President George H. W. Bush, and First Lady Barbara Bush. Haley became an entrepreneur who ran a successful business for 20 years. After that, he became a regional truck driver at Veriha, where he enjoys seeing our great country.
• Billy Taylor, U.S. Coast Guard (E-7), Werner Enterprises, Roadmaster Drivers School. Taylor joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 2000 and served in various assignments, including Port Security and Harbor Defense, Search and Rescue, Coast Guard Cutter deployments for drug interdiction/maritime defense, and as a recruiter. He retired with 20 years of service in 2020 as a chief petty officer and machinery technician. Taylor now drives for Werner Enterprises on the Anheuser-Busch account in Columbus, Ohio.
• Cory Troxell, U.S. Army (E-7), Stevens Transport, Phoenix Truck Driving Institute. Troxell was born into service with his grandfather, father, and uncle serving in the Army. Troxell enlisted in the Army in 2004. In 2009, he was wounded in an enemy IED attack, eventually earning him the Purple Heart. He continued to serve until his retirement in 2024. Drawing similarities to his decision to join the Army, he followed a trucking driving career path already cut by his family.

This year’s Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award grand prize is a Kenworth T680, equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and Paccar powertrain featuring the Paccar MX-13 engine rated at 455 horsepower, Paccar TX-12 automated transmission and Paccar DX-40 tandem rear axles.

Public voting for the award will be held from November 1 through Veterans Day, November 11. The final winner will be revealed on December 13 during an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

Thermo King donates $15,000 to Feeding America through We Move Food Program for Hunger Action Month

In honor of Hunger Action Month, Thermo King teamed up with its network of dealers and customers to donate $15,000 to Feeding America food banks in Orlando, Florida, and Kansas City, Missouri, through its We Move Food program. The nationwide philanthropic program has donated more than $550,000 to food banks nationwide since Thermo King launched it in 2018, enabling the distribution of more than 5.5 million meals to those in need.

“We are committed to delivering freshness and making our world a better place. We are incredibly humbled by the impact We Move Food continues to make in communities and our industry thanks to the amazing support of our dealers and customers,” Adam Wittwer, president, Thermo King Americas, said. “The program helps us address the food instability challenges that exist where we live and work, and the need is great as one in eight people continue to face hunger.”

This latest donation will help the Orlando and Kansas City food banks address the more than 869,000 collective people impacted by hunger in the counties they serve. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida distributes 300,000 meals daily to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women's shelters, senior centers, daycare centers, and Kids Cafes in a seven-county area. Harvesters - The Community Food Network in Kansas City serves a 27-county area and helps feed 226,000 people monthly. 

On Sept. 23 and 24 at the IFDA Solutions Conference in Kansas City, Thermo King sponsored a Cool Down Lounge for visitors to unwind, learn more about We Move Food, and show their support to end hunger by adding their name to a special donation wall. Thermo King donated $3 for each visitor and presented a $5,000 check to Feeding America’s Harvesters - The Community Food Network. On Sept. 25, Thermo King of the Southeast presented a check for $10,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.