March News – Truckers Go the Extra Mile for The Community
Spring is in the air, and the weather is getting warmer. With all the new blooms and growing daylight, it’s a great time of year to share some feel-good stories. We love finding examples of truckers and carrier companies going the extra mile for our community. Here are some of our recent favorites.
Helping Hounds in Virginia
John, a driver from South Carolina, recently delivered a large shipment of dog food to a client in Virginia. But when he got there, they said they only needed part of the shipment and advised him to throw out the rest! As a self-proclaimed animal lover, John had a better idea. He called the Norfolk SPCA, and they gratefully accepted over 50 big bags of dog food. The SPCA responded with a post on their Facebook page saying, “We’re so thankful for John’s quick thinking and generosity! We’ll be sharing the love with some of our local shelter partners and also with the community through our Emergency Pet Pantry. We wish John safe travels back to South Carolina!”
Truckers Against Trafficking Organizes to Save Lives
Truckers frequent highway stops like rest areas and truck stops, which gives them a unique advantage to spot and prevent human trafficking–if they know the signs. Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) is a non-profit organization that trains truckers to make a difference in the fight against trafficking. Through event outreach, corporate training programs, state initiatives and more, TAT has trained and certified over 1 million truckers, leading to nearly 1300 cases of trafficking identified and the victims rescued. In just 30 minutes, TAT can train drivers to spot and respond safely to the signs of human trafficking.
Trucker Crosses Borders to Reunite Pets with Their People
Owner-operator Leon Schreven didn’t mean to become a hero to pet owners, but what started with good intentions became so much more. When Schreven heard that a woman was separated from her dog after moving to Australia, he thought there might be something he could do to help. The dog was in Canada, which was under COVID-19 travel restrictions. The woman could get a flight to the U.S., but then border closures still kept her from getting her dog. Schreven routinely makes trips between the U.S. and Canada, so he agreed to transport the dog into the U.S. to be reunited with his owner before their flight back to Australia. “My family taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated,” said Schreven. After orchestrating the first reunification, Schreven realized that there was a larger community need. He connects with pet owners in the Pet Transport Canada Facebook group. Schreven now feels he’s making a significant difference, and in the last year, he has helped dozens of people reunite with their dogs and cats.
Trucker Celebrated for Exemplary Safety Record
34-year trucking veteran Allen Parker, a driver with Werner Enterprises, Inc., is this year’s recipient of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance International Driver Excellence Award. Parker has driven more than four million accident-free miles, which is an honor that is only held by four drivers in Werner’s 65-year history. Nominees for the International Driver Excellence Award must have 25 cumulative years of crash-free driving in a commercial vehicle, a 3-year clean driving record, no felony convictions, and no safety-related driving suspensions for the three years prior to nomination. Parker was humbled by the award and stated that the acknowledgment by CVSA was truly an honor.
Have You Witnessed Truckers Doing Good Deeds?
If you know of truckers who are making a difference in their community, or if you are a trucker and you’ve done a good deed that you’d like to share, let us know! We would love to talk to them (or you) and see if the story is a good fit to feature on our blog.
