Good
day,
The holiday season brings out the
best in individuals and companies, and those involved in the freight industries
are no exception.
CFI, an operating company of TFI International (TSE: TFIFF), raised $41,000 to support 24 organizations in its 2019
Truckload of Treasures campaign, now in its 26th year.
“This is one of the most inspiring
events of the year for our company, our employees and the communities in which
we live and work,” said Greg Orr, president of CFI. “Our employees embrace
giving back, engaging with our communities to help those underserved and less
fortunate. I’m extremely proud of our employees, and I appreciate the spirit,
joy and commitment they bring to this campaign every year to help meaningful
charities in Joplin and across North America.”
The organizations represented eight
cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Truckloads of Treasures starts in
August with a seven-week raffle ticket fundraiser. CFI hosts activities
including book fairs throughout the year to raise funds. In the fall, events
such as “Crock-Pot Chaos,” a chili cook-off, a silent auction and an ugly
sweater contest help raised funds. The first week of December sees employees
from the company’s Joplin, Missouri, headquarters, go on a shopping spree. This
year, 200 CFI employees descended on a local Walmart to purchase over $21,000
worth of gifts and needed supplies based on lists of items submitted by some
300 local underserved children and seniors identified by The Salvation Army.
During the shopping spree, the company also presented checks to local Joplin
charities.
“All funds from Truckloads of
Treasures are donated by CFI employees and independent contractors, reflecting
strong support across our CFI family. Our terminals across North America select
local charities to reach the communities in which they live and work,” Orr
said. “With the parameters of supporting children and elderly in need, we find
our terminals have long-standing partnerships with charities that have come to
depend on our support.”
Local charities supported this year
included The Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club, Area Agency on Aging, Camp
Quality, Children’s Haven, Ronald McDonald House, Pro Musica and Art Feeds.
Other charities benefiting from Truckloads of Treasures include Bethany House,
CASA of Crittenden, Cáritas de Monterrey ABP, Asociación Programa Lazos IAP and
Southlake General Hospital Foundation, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.
Throughout the year CFI places an
emphasis on charities with ties to military veterans, first responders, the
transportation industry, empowering women and education. The company’s support
goes beyond monetary donations and includes volunteering and support for events.
This year, following devastating
tornadoes in the Midwest, CFI also made a special contribution to first
responder organizations, providing a $100,000 grant that was used by local
agencies in four states to meet specific needs for firefighting and rescue equipment.
Since 2015, CFI has been a proud national sponsor of Holy Joe’s Café, which
supplies donated coffee to U.S. troops in more than 70 countries. The company
donates between $50,000 and $100,000 a year of in-kind transportation, moving
coffee supplies to military bases in the continental U.S., which are then
shipped to soldiers overseas to give them a small taste of home.
CFI employees have donated over
$880,000 in the 26 years of the Truckloads of Treasures program.
Did you
know?
Trailer orders dropped in November,
with trailer manufacturers booking just 19,500 net orders in the month. That is
a 39% drop from October and 56% below November 2018, according to preliminary
data from ACT Research. It also breaks a string of four straight months of increases.
Quotable:
“With today’s uncertainties on the
global economy and the challenges we are facing as an industry when it comes to
sustainability, for example, it is more difficult than ever to make any
projections. The 2% growth is for sure possible, but that would be a rather
more optimistic scenario, we think.”
— Steven Polmans, chairman of The International Air Cargo Association, on the air cargo outlook for 2020.
In other news:
Connecticut delays discussion on truck tolls
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has
postponed discussion until after the holidays of instituting truck-only tolls
on the state’s highways. (Land Line)
Einride CEO touts autonomous vehicle potential
The CEO of autonomous vehicle
startup Einride said the technology represents “the biggest business
opportunity in the history of mankind.” (Venture Beat)
Trucking startups expected to be big winners in 2020
Companies involved in autonomous
trucking and logistics are expected to be big beneficiaries of private equity
and venture capital funding in 2020. (Automotive World)
Construction, transportation see influx of women
The construction and transportation
industries are among the fastest-growing career options for women. (The Story Exchange)
Wisconsin BBB warns trucking companies of postal scam
Scam artists in Wisconsin are
trying to trick trucking companies into thinking their U.S. Department of
Transportation number has expired and asking for payment. (Channel 3000)
Final Thoughts
Last week, California announced a
plan to set an electric manufacturing standard that would require half of all
truck sales in the state to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. Separately,
China is requiring 25% of all new vehicles to be alternative-fueled vehicles by
2025. With such large economies mandating such large adoption rates of
zero-emission vehicles, and doing so in relatively short timeframes, pressure
will mount on manufacturers to meet the requirement, and that could mean good
deals on vehicles, either through incentives, credits or even lower prices. It
also will mean a major shift in operations (such as relocating warehouses or
altering routes to accommodate range limitations) for some businesses,
something that needs to be considered before any business buys zero-emissions
vehicles.
Hammer down, everyone!
