All good things must come to an end—and so today will be the last edition of Five Good Things. Over the last two years, the trucking industry has gone above and beyond for its businesses, its communities, and the country. Making sure families had enough to eat, kids had supplies for their first day of school, and that truck drivers had enough PPE, food, and other essentials to help move the nation’s economy forward were just a few of the thousands of good things I’ve witnessed over the last 24 months.
It’s been an honor to be the voice to all of the good happening in trucking. In a time when positivity, encouragement, and unconditional support was needed most, the industry answered the call. It is my sincere hope that trucking companies, associations, and other organizations continue to go the extra mile for others. As one of my favorite novel characters once said, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Here are five good things that happened in trucking this week.
Cargo Transporters reveals largest driver pay increase in company history
Cargo Transporters has implemented its largest driver pay increase in the company's 40-year history. Effective Feb. 27, 2022, the pay increase will touch all over-the-road (OTR), solo, and team drivers. In January, the company increased its paid time off (PTO) package, with new employees starting with the opportunity to earn three weeks of PTO.
Cargo Transporters will increase solo driver pay .06 cents per Rand McNally practical mile on all dispatched miles, increasing starting base pay to .60 cents per mile. Team driver pay will increase .03 cents per mile on all dispatched miles. A solo driver choosing the “All-In” pay option will start at .67 cents per mile.
“This is the largest, single increase in OTR driver pay the company has made since its start in 1982,” said John Pope, chairman of Cargo Transporters. “We ask these drivers to sacrifice time at home with their family, uphold a high level of safety, fuel and maintain equipment, care for freight and dozens of other tasks. We are proud to offer this level of compensation for those that are the best in class in their profession.”
Bendix donates $5,000 to Cleveland STEM program
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has donated a grant to support the SAE Foundation’s A World In Motion (AWIM) STEM education program in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The $5,000 grant will fund the implementation of AWIM in five classrooms, providing teachers with the training and supplies for a four- to eight-week program of scientific discovery.
“The SAE Foundation is such a great organization, and we’re excited to help get this program into Cleveland schools,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “Hopefully, in the future, it evolves and grows, and we can engage our employees as volunteer participants and bring it to more schools across Northeast Ohio.”
The award-winning AWIM program brings STEM concepts to life through a range of materials for students from preschool to beyond eighth grade, with a worldwide reach of more than 6 million students. Evaluations have revealed that 98% of teachers in the program reported that it increased students’ excitement about learning STEM topics.
“Over the past 10 years, we have developed a relationship with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and demand for AWIM in Cleveland grows each year,” said SAE Foundation Executive Director Lori Gatmaitan. “This funding from Bendix will immediately go to work supporting Cleveland students and teachers and will make a measurable impact on students’ futures.”
TAT’s Freedom Driver Project trailer hits the road
Truckers Against Trafficking, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the fight against human trafficking, launched its Freedom Driver Project (FDP) trailer, which travels the country spreading useful and educational tools that drivers can take on the road with them to spot trafficking and safely report it.
From its outside wrap to the climate-controlled interior, which includes a theatre station, actual artifacts from trafficking cases that connect people to the backstories of so many who end up enslaved in our country, to portraits of the real Truckers Against Trafficking and how each is working to end human trafficking, this trailer provides many with their first glimpse into human trafficking, as well as simple action steps anyone can take immediately walking out of it. Watch this video to learn more about the FDP trailer.
Check out the FDP trailer in action below.
Last day for Private Fleet of the Year nominations
Today is the last day to submit nominations for FleetOwner’s Private Fleet of the Year award, which will be presented at the 2022 National Private Truck Council show this April in Cincinnati.
FleetOwner editors select winners of the annual awards based on private fleets’ accomplishments, safety records, technology adoption, community outreach, and other factors. Private fleets of all sizes are eligible to nominate themselves or be nominated by a driver, customer, or other partners. It’s all about appreciating excellence in trucking regardless of the size or the duty cycle of the vehicles involved and how that excellence helps keep the nation moving.
“After operating successfully under incredible constraints for nearly two years in a COVID-19 environment, private fleets have crossed a new threshold of justification,” Gary Petty, NPTC’s president and CEO, told FleetOwner. “With unprecedentedly higher costs and widespread capacity limitations now pretty much the norm in the outside carrier market, private fleets are more than a competitive advantage. They are now viewed as essential and necessary ‘safe harbors’ to ensure products from the parent company are delivered safely, dependably, and in a cost-effective manner.”
Submit all nominations here.
Shaq donates a Mercedes van to family in need
Shaquille O'Neal, known for his basketball skills and his investment ventures, went viral this week after changing the life of a Texas family.
A Grapevine, Texas, family of 11 had outgrown their 12-passenger van and was in desperate need of a more efficient mode of transportation. Shaq answered the call.
He visited the Collins family to take them out to dinner to the Rainforest Café in Grapevine. Not only did he do that, but Shaq also bought dinner for another family at the restaurant and tipped their waitress $1,000 after he learned her car broke down that day. He spent a lot of time with their children, teaching them about the value of family and love. When he saw that the family also had a damaged minivan, he took them to a Ford dealership and gave them the upgrade of a lifetime.
To add a cherry on top, while spending time with the family, Shaq realized the Collins' father didn’t have heat or air conditioning in his pickup truck, so while at the Ford dealership in Grapevine, he added a new pickup truck for their family.
"Somebody wake me up because I must be dreaming," mom Karissa Collins said in her now viral Instagram post. "Thank you @shaq times a million times!!! You had been such a blessing to us in so many ways."
Check out the photos below of Shaq’s visit to Grapevine with the Collins crew.
