Trucking
More big-hearted, community-minded carriers invited to join Network
Food insecurity touches the lives of more Canadians than ever. That’s why the Trucks for Change Network (T4C) has renewed its commitment to The For GOOD Foundation (TFGF) to provide transportation services until the end of 2023.
So far, 20 carriers in the T4C Network are participating, delivering over 300,000 lbs. of TFGF-proprietary food to food banks across the country in the first half of 2023.
“This is the third time that carriers in our network have answered the Foundation’s call for road and inter-modal transportation,” says Betsy Sharples, Executive Director, Trucks for Change Network. “While we have a core group of carriers involved, the number of food banks and shelters awaiting delivery for the remainder of the year remains high and we are eager to broaden carrier participation by inviting more carriers to join the T4C Network.”
“The partnership with Trucks for Change has been instrumental in our Foundation’s success,” says Elliott Penner, founder of The For GOOD Foundation. “The goal of the Foundation is to work with our partners and amplify our impact to do good. T4C certainly does that.”
Penner says the need is higher than ever, and the Trucks for Change partners are key to meeting that need. “We cannot thank our friends at Trucks for Change enough,” he confirms. “With their help, we have shipped over $25 million of food to food banks across Canada. Next time you see a transport truck on the road, know that they may be hauling our precious cargo with nothing more in mind than the desire to do good. Thank you Trucks for Change!”
Every effort is made to make hauling freight destined for charities convenient and seamless, says T4C’s Sharples. “For 2023, the food bank ordering system was modified to enhance efficiencies for our carriers. Smaller order quantities allow carriers to utilize existing trailer capacity for less-than-truckload shipments,” she says. “Carriers ship pallets earmarked for a charity delivery in trailers when space becomes available. There is rarely a rigid delivery date.”
But while many destinations are currently covered by existing carriers, there are still gaps that need to be filled. Of the 91 food banks across the country that participate in the TFGF program, T4C carriers have only been able to cover 84 so far. Some locations are simply not in areas served by current T4C participating carriers, or those carriers are already stretched to meet the number of shipments they are being asked to carry. In particular, T4C is looking for carriers who can take goods to food banks located in the interior of British Columbia.
Trucks For Change is a network of community-minded carriers and sponsors who provide transportation services to charitable organizations. The Network helps the transport logistics industry to promote positive social change by connecting truck carriers with community charities in an efficient business network. Carriers participate in a variety of ways, determined by the requirements of shipments, their capacity, and the timing. Some provide door-to-door (full service) delivery, while others deliver via intermodal, linehaul, and final-mile utilizing both TL and LTL services. To date, the Trucks for Change Network has shipped over 23M lbs. of charity donations.
The For GOOD Foundation is a Canadian Registered Charity that works with partners to manufacture and distribute proprietary products for food banks across Canada. The Foundation’s unique model is 100% efficient with no overheads or salaries. Every dollar donated goes to food and getting it to Canadians who need it most.
If you are a carrier who would like to find out more about how to support this and other charitable causes through participation in Trucks for Change, please email [email protected].