Delaware News Journal: Trucking group honors Seaford company’s charity works

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Trucking Moves America Forward, a Washington, D.C.-based group that promotes the trucking industry, has recognized Trinity Logistics for its charitable contributions.

Trinity Logistics, a Seaford-based trucking and shipping company, partnered with a local food bank and Perdue last month to feed 250 families a Thanksgiving meal. For Christmas, Trinity partnered with local organizations to provide presents and essentials for seven families in need as part of its Trinity Christmas Families program.

Trucking Moves America Forward highlighted Trinity Logistics for making a difference in the community.

“The holidays are a time when all of us — friends, family, neighbors, communities — come together and share special moments and I couldn’t be more pleased to highlight the integral role trucking has in making this happen each year,” said Kevin Burch, chairman of Trucking Moves America Forward and president of Jet Express Inc.

Trinity Logistics was founded in 1979 and now has five service centers throughout the United States. In 2005, the company’s employees formed the Trinity Foundation, a non-profit, to give back to the community. Since its inception, the Trinity Foundation has donated $450,000 to more than 100 different organizations nationwide.

Trucking Moves America has 3.5 million professional drivers throughout the country.

Link: Delaware Online

Trucking Moves America Forward Applauds Industry Efforts During the Holidays

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Industry companies across the country are taking part in charitable activities

Washington, D.C. – Dec. 20, 2016 – As the end of the year approaches, Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the industry-wide education and image movement, proudly recognizes the trucking industry’s work to deliver the holidays through major charitable contributions and the tireless work of its 3.5 million professional drivers.

“The holidays are a time when all of us – friends, family, neighbors, communities – come together and share special moments, and I couldn’t be more pleased to highlight the integral role trucking has in making this happen each year,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF, president of Jet Express, Inc., and chairman of American Trucking Associations. “We’re also proud of the support TMAF has received, through people visiting our online store and purchasing our special edition TMAF holiday ornaments – because when people see those TMAF-branded items, it’s a symbol of both the endless charitable work our members do and their 24/7 commitment to Moving America Forward year-round.”

TMAF is proud to highlight the trucking-industry companies large and small, coast to coast, that are making a difference in their communities:

  • Knoxville, Tennessee-based Pilot Flying J has supported Wreaths Across America since 2012, and this year fundraised to sponsor a special section of the Arlington National Cemetery. The company has also given gifts to more than 140 children and elders for the Salvation Army Angel Tree program in Knoxville. Additionally, after the recent deadly wildfires in the Gatlinburg area, in just one day, Pilot Flying J raised nearly $20,000 in donations for the American Red Cross efforts while also filling a rental truck with supplies for those who lost their belongings in the devastating fires.
  • American Trucking Associations, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, delivered and helped distribute more than 3,500 wreaths to veterans’ graves in Arlington National Cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America. ATA’s Share the Road truck hauled the wreaths from Maine to Arlington, making stops along the way to participate in dozens of ceremonial events honoring America’s fallen heroes. ATA staff also donated preferred gift cards to Doorways for Women and Families, a local nonprofit targeting homelessness and domestic violence.
  • The Christopher Truckers Development & Relief Fund, out of Knoxville, Tennessee, is working again this season to assist semi-truck drivers with their living expenses during a medical crisis. This November alone, 41 drivers submitted applications for help; and since 2008, the fund has paid nearly $1.5 million on behalf of 1,699 drivers.
  • Brenny Transportation, out of St. Cloud, Minnesota, raised $3,400 this year to benefit local causes, including a shelter for battered women and children, the homeless, veterans, children in the hospital, a local foodbank, and adults with disabilities.

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  • In Seaford, Delaware, Trinity Logistics partnered with a local food bank and Perdue to feed 250 families a Thanksgiving meal. This month, Trinity is partnering with local organizations to provide presents and essentials for seven families in need as part of its Trinity Christmas Families program.
  • TransLand, out of Springfield, Missouri, has been a sponsor of the Dallas County Toys for Tots motorcycle toy run since 2010. Additionally, the company has adopted a family this year, supplying it with gifts, household goods, and food for Christmas, while donating time and equipment to transport more than 14,000 new toys to thousands of children in Greene County.

transland

  • Each year, New York-based Bestpass partners with the Trucking Association of New York to sponsor a local family in need during the holidays. Additionally, the Bestpass team is working to help feed the poor and hungry this January by volunteering at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.
  • Dart Transit Company, based in Eagan, Minnesota, is participating in programs such as Toys for Tots and Wreaths Across America. Dart is delivering the wreaths to Arlington and several other veterans’ cemeteries across the country in its brand new fleet of military-themed trucks and trailers, which the company unveiled this Veterans Day.

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  • Each year, Joplin, Missouri-based Contract Freighters, Inc. meets or exceeds its goal of raising $40,000 for its Truckloads of Treasures program, which has presented more than $745,000 in employee and independent contractor-raised donations to local organizations since 1993. CFI also supports an effort to provide coffee to American troops at home and overseas, as well as Wreaths Across America, through in-kind donations.
  • For the second year in a row, Phoenix-based Stewart Transport is partnering with a local school, Imagine East Mesa, to support homeless families through its Adopt a Family program.

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  • Delano, Minnesota’s Otto Transfer, Inc. is participating in a “Stop for Safety Day,” in which its 25 employees, including 19 drivers, build six high-end bikes for local children who asked for bikes for Christmas but whose families cannot afford one. The company then works with a local charity to deliver the bikes on Christmas Day.

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  • National Carriers, Inc., out of Irving, Texas, is participating in the distribution for Wreaths Across America; also, this marks the third year the company will actively support The Family Place, the leading organization in the Dallas area for victims of family violence.
  • Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx Freight is marking the 12th anniversary of its Trees for Troops program, in which it joins forces with the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation – and generous tree farmers across North America – to deliver more than 18,000 real Christmas trees to service members and their families at nearly 65 bases in 17 countries.
  • Omaha, Nebraska-based Hill Brothers Transportation, Inc. is again helping with the transportation and storage needs of “Operation Others” – gathering and delivering more than 800 meals for families in need. The company also delivers food and books to homes that teachers with Omaha Public Schools flag as being in need.

operationothers

  • Keller Logistics Group, based in Defiance, Ohio, in addition to its year-round programs raising money for veteran families, adopt-a-highway efforts, and others, is a dedicated truckload carrier volunteer helping deliver hundreds of memorial wreaths to cemeteries across Ohio as a part of Wreaths Across America.
  • Pottle’s Transportation, based in Bangor, Maine, has participated in Wreaths Across America for nearly a decade and this year its convoy from Maine to Arlington, Virginia will include a Gold Star dad and an Army veteran Pottle’s driver. For the second year, the company is collecting donations for area animals through the Furry Friends Food Bank and for the third year is participating in the Anah Shrine Temple’s “Fez”tival of Trees in Bangor.

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In addition to these efforts and partnerships, trucking is the only industry that can say it directly ships to every community in America. No time of the year is this more important than during the holidays, when trucking will deliver the food, holiday gifts, and everyday necessities that will help to make this season brighter for all families.

To learn more and join the movement, visit www.truckingmovesamerica.com. To enquire about a TMAF holiday ornament, email TMAF@trucking.org. And visit www.shopTMAF.com to order TMAF-branded gear before the holidays.

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About Trucking Moves America Forward

Trucking Moves America Forward aims to establish a long-term industry-wide movement to create a positive image for the industry, to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the importance of the trucking industry to the nation’s economy, and to build the political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry in the future. To learn more, visit www.TruckingMovesAmerica.com. Also join and follow TMAF through social media, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Overdrive: 3D trailer graphic to promote trucking’s image expected in 2017

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Trucking Moves America Forward, a trucking industry education and image campaign spearheaded by ATA, plans to make 3D trailer wraps and more affordable trailer wrap options in the coming year, the group announced last week.

Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF, president of Jet Express and chairman of American Trucking Associations, said in a press conference last week the 3D wraps are still in the drawing stage, but said they would likely be available by the end of next year.

He also announced more affordable bottom rail wraps will be available in 2017. The bottom rail wraps will go around the lower 36-48 inches of the trailer. Burch estimates each wrap is seen by about 16 million people a year.

The group also announced last week it now has more than 3,000 members in its database. TMAF aims to supporting the group, whose goal is to educate legislators and the motoring public about the positive impact of the trucking industry.

TMAF raised $1.2 million in donations in 2016, as well as between $3 million and $5 million in what Burch called “in-kind” services, such as advertising space.

Link: Overdrive Online

Washington Times Opinion: Trucking delivers the holidays

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If you bought it, a truck brought it

Family gatherings with a delicious turkey on the table. Friends and communities joining together for holiday traditions. Stores and sidewalks bustling as we shop for presents to exchange with loved ones. Wreaths on doors and ornate decorations lighting up downtowns.

These are just some of the images I think about when the holiday season is upon us. And no matter who you are, which holidays you celebrate or where you’re from, all of these images share something in common — they’re all made possible by trucking.

The fact is, trucking touches every aspect of the holidays — and it goes beyond stocking grocery store shelves or delivering that perfect gift. In addition to providing all those goods and cargo, trucking keeps your family members moving on the roads for that special time together by ensuring our gas stations are amply stocked with fuel.

The trucking industry is proud to deliver the holidays, and we recognize the enormous responsibility that comes with it. When more than 100 million drivers are on the road this season — as AAA forecasted for year-end holidays last year — they’ll be driving alongside nearly 3.5 million professional truck drivers. That’s why professional truck drivers are trained and dedicated to ensuring the safety of all motorists on the road, and why the industry as a whole invests $9.5 billion each year in safety. The investment spans all facets of trucking safety, including driver training, compliance with safety rules, onboard safety technology, and awards and bonus pay for improved safety performances.

There’s no doubt that the investment is paying off. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that trucks have a crash rate that is 28 percent lower than that of other vehicles. The fatal crash rate has fallen 74 percent since 1980, and that figure has dropped 17 percent in the last decade alone. Further, trucks are principally at fault in only 25 percent of fatal car-truck crashes. This improvement comes even as the trucking industry is expanding, by operating an additional 2.7 million trucks and driving billions of additional miles each year.

In addition to keeping our roads safe — during the holidays and throughout the year — trucking works to better our communities. Many families and organizations answer a call to service during the holiday season, and the trucking industry is no exception.

To kick off a recent work retreat, dozens of trucking industry executives came together to volunteer at the Capitol Area Food Bank in Northeast Washington, D.C. There, we sorted various cooking and food items into large bins, then packed those items into individual boxes. Next, we stacked the boxes on pallets, which were loaded into the back of a truck and delivered to distribution centers throughout the Washington metro area. A few hours of service and generosity will now provide festive seasonal meals for hundreds of underserved families in our nation’s capital. It is true that the trucking industry is a vital part of delivering the holiday season, but this recent day of volunteering is another example of the human element that our industry brings to the holiday season.

The list of good deeds goes on, and it spans trucking-related companies of all kinds, at the community level all over the country. Dozens of trucking-industry organizations and state-level trucking associations are getting involved in everything from Toys for Tots and Adopt-a-Family efforts to assisting food banks, schools and the local Salvation Army to ensure children and families are cared for during the holidays.

From safety to service, the trucking industry is dedicated to ensuring the holidays happen for all of us. It’s the only industry that can say it directly ships to every community in America, helping to make this time of the year brighter for all families — snow, sleet, rain or shine. Professional truck drivers sacrifice time with their own families to ensure our gifts are delivered, our tables are set, and our roads are safe — a true embodiment of the holiday spirit.

If you’re not acquainted with a truck driver or industry professional, I have a small challenge for you this holiday season. Take a second to acknowledge a truck driver who’s refueling next to you at a truck stop or delivering a gift to your front door. That small recognition can make a profound difference in his or her busy day of delivering the items that we enjoy, but sometimes take for granted.

Kevin Burch is chairman of the American Trucking Associations.

Link: Washington Times

TheTrucker.com: TMAF leaders summarize 2016 accomplishments in call

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WASHINGTON — The leaders of Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the trucking industry’s effort at education and image, today held a telephone press conference to discuss TMAF’s latest results  for 2016.

“It’s hard to believe that we’re in year three, when many people thought we’d never get this off the ground,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF, president of Jet Express Inc. and chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA). “Since our last public update this past spring, we’ve hit new, positive milestones on so many fronts – from expanding our reach with a member database topping three thousand, building our donor base, and further engaging with lawmakers, the industry, the media and the public,” “Our progress is a testament to all that our donors and supporters have done throughout the year, signaling a bright future ahead for TMAF.”

TMAF kicked off at the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show, he said.

Burch also highlighted the success of the TMAF trailer wrap program.

“Trailer wraps educate millions of people,” he said. “We’ve done about 140 trailer wraps and we need to keep our goal of 200 within reach.” Burch added that each wrap, according to industry research, is seen by about 16 million people.

“We have a story to tell about what we do and why we do it,” he said.

Elisabeth Barna, chief operating officer and executive vice president of Industry Affairs at ATA, said the industry sees TMAF as a major tool for telling a story and changing perceptions and pointed to the efforts to lobby for infrastructure improvements.

“We are very excited that President-elect Trump has announced that he will make infrastructure a priority” for the new administration, she said. “To keep our efforts moving forward, TMAF needs support from organizations throughout the industry. We are building a true grassroots movement one step at a time. We are seeing examples of our efforts working, and we are thrilled.”

Wendy Hamilton, senior manager of sales marketing at Pilot Flying J, spoke about how TMAF has successfully bolstered its online community and engagement through digital and social media, adding that TMAF surpassed 10,000 Facebook likes this past summer and increased its Twitter following by 25 percent.

Steve Ponder, executive vice president of Great West Casualty and TMAF co-chair, reminded listeners of the industry’s image campaign during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW) in September.

During NTDAW, TMAF communicated the economic value of trucking and a positive image of drivers through its “amateur/professional” campaign, portraying truck drivers in family situations. The ad buy yielded more than 8 million impressions and included billboards and newspaper print and digital ads in major trucking corridors, such as Missoula; Dallas; Kansas City, Missouri; Knoxville; Dayton and Indianapolis, Ponder said.

“We’ve received national recognition,” he said. “In August, PR News named TMAF a finalist for its platinum award in the branding category. We also achieved success through earned media. In addition to Kevin Burch, we enlisted some drivers to write op-eds.

“Part of our efforts are to demonstrate not just the economic value of trucking, but to improve the image of drivers – proving that drivers are family members, neighbors, and community members just like anyone else,” said Ponder. “This theme was highlighted again throughout 2016 and shone through in a big way with our robust earned and paid media campaigns.”

The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at editor@thetrucker.com.

Link: TheTrucker.com

Trucking Moves America Forward Cites Latest Accomplishments

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From donations and member engagement to policy initiatives, the industry image movement continues to grow and meet new milestones

Washington, D.C. – Dec. 6, 2016 – Trucking Moves America Forward (TMAF), the industry-wide education and image movement, today held a telephone press conference with industry and trade media to discuss TMAF’s latest results and success from the latter half of 2016 – including its recent national recognition as a finalist for the 2016 Platinum PR Awards. Speakers also addressed TMAF’s future plans to continue strengthening the movement.

“Since our last public update this past spring, we’ve hit new, positive milestones on so many fronts – from expanding our reach with a member database topping three thousand, building our donor base, and further engaging with lawmakers, the industry, the media, and the public,” said Kevin Burch, co-chairman of TMAF, president of Jet Express, Inc., and chairman of American Trucking Associations (ATA). “Our progress is a testament to all that our donors and supporters have done throughout the year, signaling a bright future ahead for TMAF.”

Burch also lauded the success of TMAF’s trailer wraps program. The wraps – or “moving billboards” – are seen by as many as 16 million people, per wrap, per city. With more than 140 wraps sold so far, TMAF is asking for the industry’s help to reach its goal of putting 200 wraps on the road.

Next, Elisabeth Barna, COO and executive vice president of industry affairs for ATA, spoke to TMAF’s role in sharing the trucking industry’s story and changing perceptions in the media and on Capitol Hill. She cited TMAF’s participation in Infrastructure Week in May of this year, joining other sectors of the transportation industry in advocating for better roads and bridges in front of decision-makers and the public.

“To keep our efforts moving forward, TMAF needs support from organizations throughout the industry,” said Barna. “We are building a true grassroots movement one step at a time. We are seeing examples of our efforts working, and we are thrilled.”

Wendy Hamilton, senior manager of sales marketing at Pilot Flying J, then spoke about how TMAF has successfully bolstered its online community and engagement through digital and social media.

TMAF surpassed 10,000 Facebook likes this past summer and increased its Twitter following by 25 percent. Meanwhile, the movement added a LinkedIn page for sharing business and jobs news, as well as an Instagram handle, which was part of a handle “takeover” during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW) in September; that week, professional driver and photographer Shannon Royce shared her pictures of beauty on the road, increasing TMAF’s Instagram following by 70 percent.

“Whether through our ‘#ThankATruckDriver’ call-to-action during NTDAW – which generated more than 800 Facebook shares – or our latest round of videos that highlighted the essentiality of our industry by capturing opinions of industry professionals at MATS, GATS, and NTDC, we’ve seen yet again that trucking is a very active and proud group of professionals, friends and family,” said Hamilton.

TMAF Co-Chair Steve Ponder concluded the conference by citing TMAF’s targeted advertising campaigns and earned media placements.

During NTDAW, TMAF communicated the economic value of trucking and a positive image of drivers through its “amateur/professional” campaign, which portrays truck drivers in family situations, drawing on the human and family side of the truck driver. The ad buy yielded more than 8 million impressions and included billboards and newspaper print and digital ads in major trucking corridors, such as Missoula; Dallas; Kansas City, Missouri; Knoxville; Dayton and Indianapolis. Additionally, since March, TMAF’s earned media placements include 66 news stories, seven editorials authored by Burch and professional drivers across the country.

“Part of our efforts are to demonstrate not just the economic value of trucking, but to improve the image of drivers – proving that drivers are family members, neighbors, and community members just like anyone else,” said Ponder. “This theme was highlighted again throughout 2016 and shone through in a big way with our robust earned and paid media campaigns.”

To learn more and join the movement, visit www.truckingmovesamerica.com.

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About Trucking Moves America Forward

Trucking Moves America Forward aims to establish a long-term industry-wide movement to create a positive image for the industry, to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the importance of the trucking industry to the nation’s economy, and to build the political and grassroots support necessary to strengthen and grow the industry in the future. To learn more, visit www.TruckingMovesAmerica.com. Also join and follow TMAF through social media, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Industry Mascot “Safety Sammy” travels the country as a symbol of America’s most essential industry: trucking!

Industry Mascot “Safety Sammy” travels the country as a symbol of America’s most essential industry: trucking!