As the trucking industry continues to receive overwhelming support from the public and all levels of government during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, many trucking-transportation companies and truck drivers are paying it forward by giving back to their communities, first responders and front-line essential healthcare workers who also are tirelessly battling the spread of the virus.
Here’s a few examples:
Drive–up Hot-Meal Program for First Responders & Truckers
A group of telecom research and development workers in Kennebecasis Valley, N.B. has teamed up with the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association to open a drive–up hot-meal program for truckers and first responders.
“We might all joke about the toilet paper shortage, but the reality is that our grocery store shelves are nicely stocked because of our trucking industry. Yet they are feeling some of the worst from this pandemic, with very little options when it comes to food and meals. And our emergency services workers are also being stretched and stressed to the limit right now,” says Gino Dion, Global Director of Innovation Solutions at Nokia.
The service will launch Saturday April 11 in afternoon at Highway 1 weigh station in Quispamsis and the plan is to keep the service operating every day for the next month.
The location will provide truck drivers and first responders with an individualized pre-packaged meal,
The organizing group, which also includes involvement by the Kennebecasis Police Department, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, as well as several restaurants in the local area received a proper permit from the NB Department of Health for the location.
Oraganziers are self-financing for the first few days but are depending on a strong social media campaign to help raise funds from the community and corporations. A website has been setup to accept donations and any individual who wants to pitch in can auto deposit via e-transfer to helpatruckernb@gmail.com.
“Our truckers, front-line workers, restaurants, they all need us now more than ever,” says Dion.
Please share this effort online using #thankatrucker
Frontline Workers Supporting Each Other During COVID-19 Crisis
The Windsor Transportation Club (WTC) on behalf of its hard-working members proudly announces a new initiative to feed Windsor-Essex’s hardworking healthcare workers. This initiative is in addition to donations that were made by the Windsor Transportation Club to the Generations Diner (a local restaurant providing free meals to truck drivers), the Welcome Center Food Bank and the Children’s Aid Society.
As governments across North America order all non-essential workplaces to close, there are men and women who are on the frontlines of this battle against COVID-19. They include our heroic healthcare workers and those employed within the transportation and logistics who are working to ensure that our community has the essentials needed during this crisis, like medical equipment, food and other supplies.
Throughout history, our nation’s truck drivers have been depended on to support the country in our time of need. Once again, they and others within the transportation sector have answered the call.
The mission of this initiative is to highlight how frontline workers are helping other frontline workers battling the effects of COVID-19. “Feed the Frontline” supports our healthcare workers by providing them food. This initiative also supports local restaurants that have suffered greatly because of the stay-at-home instructions and the forced closures of dine-in options.
100 percent of the funds raised will go towards purchasing food from local participating restaurants to feed our community’s healthcare workers and provide support as needed. Over six local food businesses have joined the cause. Others can join too. The Windsor Transportation Club encourages all to visit its “GoFundMe” Page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/feed-the-front-lines-windsor
“I am proud to be part of the ‘Feed the Frontline’ Initiative because it allows everyone to work together for the good of humanity. We will all win by helping to beat this virus and our healthcare workers are the foot soldiers in this battle,” says Steve Ondejko, President, Onfreight Logistics.
BC Truck Driver Producing Covid-19 Face Shields by 3D Printer
B.C. truck driver Petko Ganachev has been pulling his weight to fight this pandemic in more ways than one.
credit: Truck News
Not only is he driving for Ken Johnson Trucking, delivering essential products to Canadians, but he also recently created a 3D printing group that is making face shields and mask straps to help ease shortages across the country in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, Truck West reports:
Ganachev started the B.C. Covid-19 3D Printing Group from a conversation he began on the social media site Reddit with a person whose partner worked in a care home. The person was looking for someone who could make face shields for the home, which was experiencing a Covid-19 outbreak.
Ganachev, who describes himself as a 3D printing hobbyist over the past four years, stepped up, and after just one week, formed and grew the 3D printing group to over 300 volunteers, including around 110 who could print the face shields and mask straps.
Using laminating sheets donated by Staples, the group had delivered 1,554 face shields and 3,686 mask straps, as of April 6.
The number of shields and straps being produced by the group is even more staggering. With a current inventory of 1,811 face shields, 5,720 more are in production for this week. There is also an inventory of 2,446 straps, with another 10,493 in production.
“We can print about two of them every hour, per printer,” said Ganachev, adding that they don’t have an accurate count on how many printers they have, as some people have more than one 3D printer in use.
There is also an alternative face shield design, one that is approved for use in hospitals, that takes one to two hours to complete, depending on the type of 3D printer being used.
Those who are printing do so out of their homes, and once complete, the shields and straps are picked up by a courier service and shipped to where they are needed.
Soon after its launch, the group partnered with LNG Studios, which started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the production of face shields. Ganachev’s group will soon be launching its own fundraising campaign to continue raising money for the production of face shields and straps.
Ganachev told Truck West that working for a supportive carrier makes it easier for him to juggle both responsibilities.
“I don’t think there’s anywhere else I could have got as a first job and got better training and better mentorship,” he said. “I got really lucky with that…if I had started with one of the not-so-nice companies that we have in our industry, I probably wouldn’t be a truck driver anymore.”
Ganachev called Johnson while he was in 14-day isolation after returning from vacation to tell him about his 3D printing idea.
“I guess he had lots of time to think,” said Johnson, who thought the idea was worth looking into. “I told him we’d assist where we could. Initiatives, such as (Ganachev’s), are all beneficial. People wanting to help others.”
Johnson commends the work of his young driver and said efforts like Ganachev’s are needed now more than ever, as they show how the trucking industry has responded to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The #ThankATrucker campaign is another way of people helping people,” said Johnson. “In this case it’s more moral support, but hopefully it builds momentum and restaurants and stores realize they need to help our people so our people can help them.”
To learn more about the B.C. Covid-19 3D Printing Group, visit https://sites.google.com/view/gvrd-face-shield-printers/home.
Read the full story at Truck West here.
Stay Safe Campaign Looking Sharp
Sharp Transport partnered with the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada and launched a campaign to continue spreading the message of safety. The carrier donated a 53 ft. trailer for their Stay Home, Flatten the Curve – Save Lives campaign.
The purpose of this initiative is to support the Provincial and Federal Government’s initiatives to raise awareness to the impact of #StayHome to #StayLives and #FlattenTheCurve
Credit for the beautifully wrapped trailer goes to the amazing designers Big Rig Wraps Transport Truck Advertising and Purple Door Creative. Thanks also goes to Toronto Digital Imaging who did a great job installing the wrap so quickly. The wrap was sponsored by Armour Insurance Brokers and the WTFC.