Meet the Industry Mascot

A few years after TMAF’s inception, TMAF wanted to further the impact of its movement through a game-changing move. TMAF devised a plan to more broadly and creatively tell its story of safety and responsibility, and reach an even wider audience, through a bold and unexpected move.

In addition to promoting a safe industry, the other strategy for the campaign was to evoke a sense of pride, create excitement within the industry and solicit industry involvement and participation in the movement. Thus, to achieve both goals, the concept of an industry mascot and brand ambassador was born.

The Safety Sammy mascot is a “truck” costume complete with wheels, a windshield, flashing headlights, a “Safety Sammy” license plate, a TMAF-branded cap, and large captivating eyes. The mascot’s physical attributes were created to be realistic and approachable to people it comes across.

In 2017, TMAF teased the introduction of Safety Sammy through a series of industry events to develop excitement and participation throughout the industry, including from drivers, trucking companies, trucking associations, partners and vendors and more.

The creation of the mascot was a three-part event over several months in which we:

• Teased the concept of a new industry member under the theme: “Something big is coming” through partial images of the eyes and massive shoes at our annual press conference at the Mid-America Trucking Show;
• Introduced the mascot concept in a truck stop press conference;
• Called on the industry to join the effort by submitting their name recommendations through a digital campaign; through social media and email;
• Leveraged the widely attended Great American Trucking Show (GATS) with the lead media partner to reveal the name.

Since Safety Sammy was unveiled in 2017, the mascot has joined TMAF on the road and traveled to industry conferences and events to help the trucking industry tell our story. Safety Sammy’s big eyes and flashing lights stand out among the crowd and captures the attention of the audience.

Over the past few years, Safety Sammy has quickly become a positive and well-recognized face for our industry who is always so positively received among the crowds. The Safety Sammy mascot proved to be a symbol of industry education and safety information in a new, exciting and accessible manner.

Safety Sammy is a mascot that the trucking industry can rally behind, fostering community while educating those it comes across on the industry’s essentiality to the economy. The mascot has also become a face for TMAF and the industry.

Due to high demand for the mascot at industry events, TMAF created a second mascot costume, one with arms and hands and some additional bells and whistles.

Safety Sammy was featured on NBC in Louisville, KY. During MATS 2019, TMAF and the mascot shared safety tips for drivers.