For truckers, going the extra mile is in the job description. It takes a special kind of person to dedicate their livelihood to the maintenance of the supply chain for the sake of others. And then some truckers want to do even more through trucker charities.
For those carriers that desire to do as much good as they can on the road, there are charitable institutions that can help them put their aspirations on wheels.
Here are a few trucker charities that help truckers do good.
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The One Initiative
What is the One Initiative: The One Initiative aims to end childhood hunger by allowing truckers to feed children with every load.
When the One Initiative was first created in 2018, the organization aimed to help feed 1 million children by the end of the year. Five years later, the initiative has fed nearly 10 million children, provided hundreds of hours of volunteer work, and is an ongoing force for good in the transportation industry.
How it works: The One Initiative is a 501(c)(3) and passion project by England Logistics and C.R. England.
For clients of England Logistics, each completed business transaction is matched with a contribution toward a meal for a hungry child. Whether truckers are moving a load with England Logistics or a client of England Carrier Services, they provide meals to hungry children through the One Initiative.
Though the organization accepts donations on their website, the best way to get involved with the One Initiative is to conduct business with England Logistics (learn more here) or C.R. England (learn more here). Get started with this trucker charity today!
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Truckers Against Trafficking
What is Truckers Against Trafficking: Truckers Against Trafficking is a grassroots organization determined to equip truckers with the skills to identify and report human trafficking.
With over 7 million active members, Truckers Against Trafficking is raising an army of truckers to help law enforcement remove human trafficking. It’s becoming one of the largest trucker charities.
How it works: Drivers can get involved with Truckers Against Trafficking in several ways:
- Visit https://education.truckersagainsttrafficking.org/ for free training resources on spotting and reporting human trafficking.
- Calling the Truckers Against Trafficking hotline (1-888-3737-888) if you ever spot anything suspicious.
- Sporting a window decal to indicate your commitment to combatting trafficking.
In addition to individual carrier resources, Truckers Against Trafficking also offers education programs for fleets upon request.
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Trucker Buddy International
What is Trucker Buddy International: Trucker Buddy International (TBI) is a nonprofit organization that matches truckers with grade-school classrooms as pen-pals.
TBI started when Gary King, a Williams Bay, WI trucker, contacted a local elementary school principal for permission to write a class of students as pen-pals.
As Gary wrote and sent postcards to a fourth-grade classroom, the students were enthralled with the sites and experiences of a trucker. The student’s teacher quickly identified the experience as an excellent opportunity to engage the students in good reading and writing skills, and the program soon spread. Today, TBI makes over 2,000 matches between truckers and classrooms a year.
How it works: Truckers can apply to be a Trucker Buddy here. Once approved, truckers will communicate with a matched teacher to discuss the frequency of correspondence between the trucker and the students. In most cases, truckers can even visit classrooms once or twice a year!
For more information on being a Trucker Buddy, please visit this link.
In addition to becoming a Trucker Buddy, you can donate to the Trucker Buddy program to contribute educational resources for classrooms here.
Truckers make a difference by keeping their key in the ignition, but sometimes the extra mile isn’t in the driver’s seat. If you’re interested in creating a difference using your unique position as a trucker through trucker charities, the One Initiative, Truckers Against Trafficking, and Trucker Buddy International are outstanding ways to do just that.
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The England Carrier Services (ECS) division offers various services for carriers ranging from maintenance to support. As ECS members, carriers have access to nationwide discounts on fuel and tires from dedicated team members committed to finding the best price. ECS also provides factoring services with benefits such as same-day funding to a bank account or fuel card. These options allow carriers the freedom to focus on growing their business while saving time and money.