Pete Dalmazzi.

Trucking went plaid for dad

TORONTO, Ont. – The trucking industry continues to wrap itself in Plaid for Dad to support Prostate Cancer Canada – and this year Arnold Bros. Transport even earned the coveted plaid vest awarded to the fundraising campaign’s top workplace champion. The fleet accounted for more than $19,000 of about $50,000 raised by 20 carriers and suppliers this year, according to Trucks for Change, which helped to coordinate industry efforts. It’s the first time an individual fleet has won the award, but trucking industry efforts have dominated the Plaid for Dad fundraising in recent years. An Ontario Trucking Association team earned the vest in 2016, while a Canadian Trucking Alliance team earned the top spot in 2017.

Updated: Charities hit Truck World for a good cause

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Maxine Shantz says all it took was one year of volunteering with the Special Olympics Convoy and she was hooked. The Home Hardware employee took on tasks with the GTA branch of the project six years ago and has been more involved every year since. Including spending a day in the charity’s Truck World booth recruiting drivers, selling raffle tickets to raise money for the cause, and raising awareness. Shantz says the booth at the biennial convention brings good exposure to the cause, forming a sense of community for drivers around the event and shines a light on the good things drivers do in a climate where they are often portrayed in the media as the bad guys after incidents on the road.