The Log Book is a weekly rundown of human-interest stories related to the transportation industry. This week: XPO’s chief diversity officer describes the importance of its inclusion initiatives, UPS opens up its Fairway to the Future quiz in honor of the Ryder Cup and Truckers Relief Fund celebrates successful diabetes program with the CDC.
XPO sponsors Pride Festival in UK
Global transportation services provider XPO Logistics announced this week it will be sponsoring the Birmingham Pride Festival this weekend in the United Kingdom.
This is not XPO’s first Pride Festival sponsorship, as it has recently supported LGBTQ+ events across the world including New York City Pride, the Mid-South Pride Fest, the Tri-State LGBTQ+ Unity Summit and the Tamworth Pride Festival in Staffordshire, England, as well.
These initiatives have been an outcome of Chief Diversity Officer LaQuenta Jacobs’ inclusion strategy since she took the newly created role at XPO (NYSE:XPO) in 2020.
“As a global company, we extend our support to the LGBTQ+ community as far and as frequently as possible,” Jacobs told FreightWaves.
“We’ve had well-attended Pride events in the United States, and we’re always thinking about ways to expand this part of our mission internationally. Our employees in Tamworth, U.K., helped identify Birmingham Pride, the U.K.’s largest two-day LGBTQ+ Pride festival, as a great opportunity to get involved,” she said.
The company also supports PFLAG, an organization that provides confidential support, education and advocacy for LGBTQ+ people and families, and Lesbians Who Tech, a professional community for LGBTQ women, nonbinary and transgender individuals who work in technology fields.
The company also empowers employees within its four walls.
Its employee resource group, LGBTQ+ Employees and Allies, is led by XPO’s European chief legal officer, who helps foster this commitment to inclusion through specific training and education programs.
Related: The Log Book: XPO scores high on Disability Equality Index
“Driving a culture of inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s imperative for any company with a desire to create, sustain and encourage the level of diverse thought needed in a high-performing organization,” said Jacobs. “At XPO, we celebrate diversity year-round, and this is another way for us to recognize the diversity of our employees, their families and our communities.”
UPS Foundation Fairway to the Future quiz helps meet tree-planting commitment
In 2020, the UPS Foundation met its commitment of planting 15 million trees with 1T, a reforestation group that aims to conserve and grow 1 trillion trees by 2030.
After meeting its goal, the foundation increased its commitment to 1T, dedicating its resources to plant 35 million additional trees across the world by 2030.
“With their ability to absorb carbon, slow erosion, and improve soil and water quality, trees are one of our most powerful tools to address climate change and restore our natural environments,” said the UPS Foundation in its updated pledge.
“Our ambition isn’t just to plant trees — it’s to change the relationship that humans have with the environment and each other for the better. As we train thousands of people each year in tree planting, soil regeneration, sustainable agricultural practices, and community engagement, we create a powerful network of advocates that have an impact beyond the trees we planted together.”
In an initiative to meet that goal, the UPS Foundation (NYSE:UPS) used its partnership with professional golfers Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood to create the Fairway to the Future Quiz.
During select golf tournaments, individuals can register to take a short quiz, including golf and environmental questions, to win a $2,500 grant and select which environmental nonprofit the foundation will donate toward to contribute to its total 50 million-tree goal.
In honor of the Ryder Cup this weekend, the quiz site opened to participants Wednesday and will remain open through Sunday. Two winners will be selected to choose the grant recipients after the match is complete.
St. Christopher Fund celebrates success in diabetes program
The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) in February launched a 12-person diabetes prevention program approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to help its cause of lowering drivers’ risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
This week, SCF announced its Driving Down Diabetes participants had lost more than 180 pounds as a group, with eight out of 12 surpassing the CDC’s suggested 5% weight loss goal.
“We are so proud of the participants who have gone through this program with us for the past eight months. Working with the CDC to develop this program and provide guidance to the drivers out there to improve their lifestyle and lower their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes has been a rewarding experience,” said Julie Dillon, health and wellness manager at SCF, in the release.
The prevention program consisted of two different programs dependent on the truck drivers’ lifestyle over the road: one consisting of live help and the other consisting of pre-recorded material for those with varying hours to dedicate to the program.
The trucking organization also partnered with health and wellness provider Rolling Strong, whose phone application helps drivers keep track of their nutrition, fitness and sleep to enable them to take control of their health and smoking addictions.
“It is crucial for participants in our CDC Diabetes Prevention Program to have ongoing support during the maintenance phase of the year-long program,” said Dillon.
“Our shared passion with Rolling Strong is to see drivers get healthier and feel better. At SCF, we are excited to have Rolling Strong partner with us to assist professional drivers in achieving their health goals.”
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