Did you remember that yesterday was Flag Day? Did you see any flags flying? Maybe we're giving our age away, but we remember when everyone in the neighborhood had a flag displayed on Flag Day. Times certainly have changed.
We received some sad news as we started to press with this edition of the e-Report, we learned of the passing of Gary King, the founder of Trucker Buddy International.
Here's the official press release from Trucker Buddy:
Founder Gary King Passes
The trucking industry lost an icon with the passing of Gary King, 61, the founder of Trucker Buddy International, Inc. Yet his legacy will live on forever, thanks to his idea to supplement children's education by bringing the open road into classrooms.
King died after an extended illness on Friday, June 8, 2007 at his home in Elkhorn, WI.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 16, at the Haase-Derrick-Lockwood Funeral Home, 730 N. Wisconsin St., Elkhorn, WI. Visitation will be held at 1 p.m., with services at 2 p.m.
King is survived by his wife of 35 years, Carol; children Melissa King and David King of Elkhorn and Sarah Paul Crow of Alliance, Ohio; grandchildren Autumn and Shelby Crow; a sister, Emma (Marty Hansford) Peach of Sacramento, CA; and a brother, the Rev. Carl (Penny) King of Oceans Springs, MS.
King was preceded in death by his parents, Rufus J. and Bessie G. King, his brother Rollie and sister Madeline.
King was born April 23, 1946, in Princeton, IN. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he drove truck for more than 30 years before retiring in 1993. In 1992, one of the best ideas trucking has ever seen came to life when King, an owner operator with Dart Transit at the time, began writing postcards to classrooms. This was the beginning of Trucker Buddy, a pen-pal program that supplements the education of elementary children while educating the public about the trucking industry.
"In 15 years that the Trucker Buddy pen-pal program has been in existence, more than a million young people have learned geography, history and math, and improved their communications skills through participation in the program. They will always have a positive image of trucking and truckers," noted close friend Paul Abelson, who also serves on the Trucker Buddy advisory board.
David Grose, a long-time Trucker Buddy volunteer and board member and another close friend, credits King with giving him an opportunity to make a difference.
"Gary found a great way to make a positive difference in the education of children with Trucker Buddy. By being a Trucker Buddy, not only could I make a difference in the lives of children, but with the attitude of America to trucking, too," said Grose, an owner operator. "I just loved Gary - I thought he was a super guy. Gary and Carol both, just great people. My dream now is to see that Gary's legacy lives on, that we continue to improve the organization and that his dream continues to bring more positive things to light for the industry." Grose has been matched with teacher Bonnie Dick, who was handpicked for him by King, for 12 years.
The outpouring of affection and sense of loss extends across the industry.
"Gary came up with a great idea with the Trucker Buddy program and Kenworth has been proud to support this worthwhile endeavor since the program's inception," said Jeff Parietti, public relations manager at Kenworth Truck Company. "Gary's lasting legacy will be that his vision resulted in the education of thousands of children over the years through a fun learning process aided by the many Trucker Buddies who willingly volunteered their time."
"Humble, good natured, compassionate" are the three words that come to mind when he thinks of King, said Doug Siefkes, principal of SiefkesPetit, a PR agency. "From the first day I talked with Gary, back in 1993, I knew he was a man who had great conviction and dedication to his family, his friends and his adopted friends - his Trucker Buddies," Siefkes said. "Gary always used to say, 'I'm just a trucker with a good idea.' But he was obviously much more than that and his idea of Trucker Buddy has long been the best program the trucking industry has ever seen."
Darrel Hicks, past president of Trucker Buddy, who is still a Trucker Buddy and sits on the advisory board of the organization, reminisced about his first meeting with Trucker Buddy and King.
"I first heard about Trucker Buddy in the spring of 1994. During that summer, I was driving between Phoenix and Tucson and met Gary at the TA in Eloy, Arizona. I asked him if I could be a Trucker Buddy, as unique as my job was. He said he would consider it. Three months later, I was assigned to a fourth grade class in Fletcher, North Carolina. What a thrill to be accepted in the TBI program and to work with the kids," Hicks related. "Gary was truly a visionary. He had so many ideas to help the program work. He and Carol never enjoyed much monetary income, but they enjoyed a lot of blessings from working with the drivers, kids and their teachers. Gary and I became close friends over the years. He brought more blessings to my life than I can remember."
Trucker Buddy Mark Taylor, current president of the board and one of a number of Trucker Buddies who have been volunteering with the program for a decade or more, said the industry has lost a valuable friend.
"It's sad that the man who started this incredible program has passed away. As a Trucker Buddy myself, I appreciate the program Gary started because it gives drivers like myself, who have pride, self respect and know our value to this country, a way to give back to the community," said Taylor, a driver for Wal-Mart. "We, as drivers, are the motor of this country. Gary's idea to put us in a position to help educate children is one that will live on forever."
"Over the years, as Gary's health declined, he was ever upbeat and fought a good fight against cancer. It was never 'why me.' He was ready to meet his good Lord and was always more concerned about how others were doing," Siefkes said. "Gary will be missed. He made an impact on many people's lives...a big one on mine. As I told Gary a few weeks ago, what he's accomplished will live on forever. He showed what one man with an idea can accomplish. No one had a bigger heart. And more love for his family and friends."
Hicks added, "Gary had a dream. This feisty, ornery, lovable trucker driver and his wife truly led thousands of adults and kiddies to a new, higher level in their life experience. His dreams were fulfilled. Gary, you are in His Hands. We love you."
A memorial fund for the family has been set up. Contributions can be sent to: Gary King Memorial Fund, c/o Monona State Bank, P.O. Box 6500, Monona, WI 53716.
Trucker Buddy International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping educate and mentor schoolchildren via a pen-pal relationship between professional truck drivers and children in grades two through eight. Trucker Buddy matches classes of students with professional truck drivers, and every week drivers share news about their travels with their class. Once a month, students write letters to their drivers. Students' skills in reading, writing, geography, mathematics, social studies and history are enhanced and learning is fun. Since 1992, Trucker Buddy has helped educate more than a million schoolchildren while introducing them to caring, compassionate men and women who help drive the economy. Trucker Buddy has nearly 3,500 participants in North America, Australia, Iceland and New Zealand. For more information about Trucker Buddy International, visit www.truckerbuddy.org or call 1-800-MY-BUDDY.
Trucker Buddy
Driver of the Month
Frank Nathanson
Frank Nathanson was selected to be the May ACS MultiMedia Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month for going above and beyond in furthering the education of the third grade students in Deborah Penney's classroom at John S. Hobart Elementary School in Shirley, NY.
"Frank sends each child their own postcard from different parts of the United States," Penney said. "He gives the children clues on them as to where he is. Then we have to guess to see if we are correct. The students love this game he plays with them."
Student Samantha said, "It is like a scavenger hunt because he gives us clues and postcards of where he is."
Nathanson has been a Trucker Buddy for Penney's class for the past two years. In addition to sending postcards every week from places he has been, he also has built a web site especially for his class.
"Frank has created a web site just for us! It's terrific!" Penney said. "He has posted pictures of my classes there. He also scans the children's letters that he has received and posts them on the web site with his responses. The students love to visit this web site. It makes them feel very special."
The class was thrilled when Nathanson was able to visit last fall.
"We got to interview him and learned lots of interesting information about him," said student Elizabeth. "He can even speak five languages."
Nathanson, a Trucker Buddy since 2005, lives in Staten Island, N.Y., and has been an owner operator leased to Swift Transportation for four years. During that time he has received safe driving certificates all four years.
Despite technical skill on the Internet and the ability to converse in a number of countries, Nathanson also sticks to the basics, teaching the children about safety on the road.
"Trucker Buddy Frank also taught me safety rules for driving," wrote third grader Jazmine. "Here are a few rules he taught me. Don't drink and drive, keep your eyes on the road, and remember to always wear your seatbelt. These are important because they keep me safe and if you don't do them you can get hurt."
Nathanson has also given the children material gifts, including items from the Trucker Buddy merchandise store such as the CAT Scale Beanie Friends, pencils and erasers, rulers and postcards.
The most special gift of all, though, is the gift of time Nathanson has given these students, enhancing their education along the way.
Each Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month receives a personalized jacket, along with a check for $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of program sponsor ACS MultiMedia Advertising ( www.tmi-multimedia.com), the advertising agency of choice for the trucking industry. They also receive an IdleAire adaptor ( www.IdleAire.com), a Koolatron cooler and a complete set of Airtabs for their tractor or trailer ( www.airtab.com). Owner operators receive a set of steer tires from Continental Tire. The class will receive a CrossCountry USA game from Ingenuity Works ( www.ingenuityworks.com), which will help them learn more about how trucks move freight across the continent.
Nathanson is among some 3,500 other professional drivers who share their time with elementary classes throughout the world. The only criteria to be a Trucker Buddy is to be a professional truck driver with a CDL who is willing to send a postcard each week to a class in grades two through eight. Drivers and teachers can find out more about the program by visiting www.truckerbuddy.org or calling 1-800-MY-BUDDY.
Trucker Buddy is dependent on corporate sponsors such as ACS MultiMedia Advertising and TruckDriver.com to fund the program.
If you’re surfing the web and you read this e-mail and you don’t have anything better to do and you don’t have anywhere to go, click the link so you can enjoy the rest of this message, so you can check out the L.J. Kennedy newsletter. We think it's the most interesting, unique and original newsletter for tractor-trailer drivers we've ever seen. Hope you agree!
Mail Call
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Thanks again Truckdriver.com I will be passing along the good news about what you have done for me.
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You may have heard about this already, but we thought it was worth repeating. It gets our vote as the strangest truck driving story of the year, so far anyway.
Wheelchair user taken on wild 50-mph ride
PAW PAW, Mich. - Ben Carpenter got the ride of a lifetime when his electric wheelchair became lodged in the grille of a semitrailer and was accidentally pushed down a highway for several miles at about 50 mph.
His father, Donald Carpenter, was incredulous when police called to tell him his 21-year-old son was OK after the wild ride.
"I said, 'What happened?'" Donald Carpenter recalled Thursday.
He said his son had started to cross Wednesday afternoon at an intersection in Paw Paw, about 140 miles west of Detroit, where the truck had stopped for a red light. The light changed to green while Carpenter was still in front of the semi, which started moving forward.
The truck bumped into the side of the wheelchair, which then started turning forward, its handles becoming lodged in the grille, the father said. The wild ride had started.
"He's so low that the truck driver couldn't see him, and the truck headed out," he said.
The wheelchair, with Carpenter strapped in it, ended up being pushed by the truck as it sped down the Red Arrow Highway. Police said the wheelchair was pushed about four miles, but Donald Carpenter said it was about half that.
Ben Carpenter said while all of this was going on, he seriously considered the possibility that he might not make it before the truck came to a complete halt.
"I was probably thinking that this is going to keep going and not stop anywhere, 50 or 60 miles somewhere," he told Grand Rapids television station WOOD.
"It was pretty scary," he told WDIV-TV of Detroit.
The bizarre sight caught the attention of motorists, many of whom called 911 on their cell phones. A pair of undercover police officers who happened to be driving in the opposite direction at the time saw what was happening, did a quick U-turn, followed the truck to its business and informed the disbelieving driver, Donald Carpenter said.
His son escaped injury.
"He's fine," Donald Carpenter said. "Not a scratch. He was basically just scared."
Ben Carpenter, who has muscular dystrophy, lives with his parents in nearby Kalamazoo. He had gone to Paw Paw to ride on a trail with a medical aide who was on a bicycle, his father said.
The aide had fallen slightly behind Carpenter by the time he was crossing the intersection and, because of the angle, didn't see him being pushed down the road. She had no idea what had happened to him.
"She was frantic and then a driver at the intersection started honking his horn and said he's attached to the front of the truck," Donald Carpenter said. The aide then used her cell phone to call for help.
The father said being pushed down the road by the truck burned most of the rubber off the tires of the wheelchair, but otherwise didn't damage it. The tires were replaced Thursday morning, in time for his son to use the wheelchair this weekend at a muscular dystrophy camp.
"It's a very bad story that ended very well," he said. "We're just thrilled that he's still around."
Here's a link to a the MSNBC video report
And, as Paul Harvey says, here's the rest of the story.
Trucker who hit, pushed Michigan man in wheelchair won't be charged
PAW PAW, Mich. — A truck driver whose rig snagged a man in his wheelchair and unknowingly pushed him at speeds up to 50 mph for miles will not face any criminal charges, authorities said.
Van Buren County prosecutor Juris Kaps said investigators determined the semi accidentally hit the wheelchair, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported Tuesday.
Ben Carpenter, 21, was attempting to pass in front of the truck June. 6 when the light at an intersection turned green and the 52-year-old driver, who was not identified, started to move.
The wheelchair turned forward and its handles got lodged in the grille in Paw Paw, about 140 miles west of Detroit. The rig continued picking up speed and pushing the wheelchair, with Carpenter strapped in it, down the highway until pulling into the parking lot of a trucking company.
Police said the wheelchair was pushed about four miles, but Donald Carpenter, the man's father, said the actual distance was about half that.
Ben Carpenter, who lives near Kalamazoo and has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, was not injured.
TruckDriver.com Carrier of the Month
Saia, Inc.
Saia , pronounced (sigh - ah)
Noun meaning: 1. An industry-defining 1 & 2 day regional LTL carrier. 2. A service provider so dependable, it brings a sigh of relief to its customers.
Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAIA) headquartered in Duluth, GA with General Offices in Houma, LA and Boise, ID, is among the leading regional LTL companies in the United States with revenue exceeding $750 million annually, serving the south, southwest, pacific northwest, Midwest and western regions of the United States. North American partner coverage is offered, including Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
When it began more than 80 years ago, Saia covered a two-state area: Louisiana and Texas. Today, Saia is one of the most successful LTL carriers in the United States, ranking in the top ten of carriers in the LTL sector. Much of Saia's growth has been accomplished through mergers and acquisitions.
Here is their timeline to success:
1924
Saia was founded in 1924 with one terminal in Houma, Lousiana.
1993
When Yellow Corporation purchased Saia, there were 23 terminals and limited coverage in five states.
1995
Smalley Transportation was merged with Saia, expanding the company into a nine-state service area. During that same year, Saia opened terminals in North and South Carolina and West Texas, providing customers with 100% coverage of 11 Southern States.
2001
Sister companies, Action Express and WestEx, were integrated into Saia expanding direct coverage into 21 states with more than 100 terminals and over 5,000 employees.
2002
Yellow Corporation created a regional holding company, SCS Transportation, based in Kansas City, Mo. SCS Transportation, Inc. (SCST) had two operating subsidiaries - Saia and Jevic Transportation. SCST was spun off and on October 1, 2002 became an independent, publicly traded company on the NASDAQ
2003
Saia conducted significant market research to identify what was most important to their customers. As a result of this research, the company introduced its industry-exclusive Customer Service Indicators (CSIs) and launched their Xtreme Performance campaign.
2004
Saia acquired Clark Bros., a Midwestern LTL carrier operating in nine states with approximately 600 employees. The addition of Clark Bros. added direct service coverage in major midwestern markets, including Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. The Saia network expanded to 128 terminals, serving 30 states.
2005
Saia continued to re-define their industry by launching their Xtreme Guarantee, covering the total customer experience from pickup to invoicing with a full money-back assurance. The company recently spent five years transforming itself from the inside out, with initiatives including a service product team dedicated to decreasing defects, a communication program to educate employees on their role in meeting CSIs, and ongoing customer research for continuous improvement.
2006
SCST announced the successful sale of Jevic Transportation to a private investment group and the move of all corporate functions from Kansas City to Saia headquarters in Duluth, Ga. SCST functions were folded into Saia and the single company re-branded and publicly traded under the Saia brand on the NASDAQ, ticker symbol 'SAIA.'
2007
Successfully integrated The Connection Company into Saia, expanding Xtreme Performance to four additional states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. The expanded Saia organization now serves 34 states with 148 terminals.
Saias headquarters are located in Duluth, GA with business offices in Houma, LA and Boise, ID. Throughout it's history, one thing has never changed there is still little that Saia won't do for their customers. Just Ask.
No one delivers like we do. Some call it Xtreme.
We can live with that.
Apply online at
Saia.com
The TruckDriver.com Truck Driver Turnover Survey is closed, but you can see the results by clicking the Truck Driver Turnover Survey Results link.
And, while we haven't received any photos, sixty-three percent of you taking the TruckDriver.com Digital Camera Survey, said you did carry a digital camera with you on the road.
We're not kidding about those photos, send us one, we'll put it in a future edition of the e-Report.
While not all of you carry a digital camera, we'll bet a nickel (nobody ever accused us of not making the big wager) that 99.9 percent of you carry a cell phone. And, what we want to know on the next survey, The TruckDriver.com Cell Phone Bill Survey is how much does it cost you each month. We hear a lot of horror stories about cell phone bills, what's the real scoop?
Until next time, keep on truckin' and please drive safely.
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