Cancer-awareness advocacy from GA small fleet; Long Haul Survivor update

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Updated Jan 25, 2014
For more photos by Newton Citizen staff photographer Karen Rohr of Junior Pippin Trucking units, follow this link to Chris Starrs’ report on the fleet’s breast-cancer-awareness efforts.For more photos by Newton Citizen staff photographer Karen Rohr of Junior Pippin Trucking units, follow this link to Chris Starrs’ report on the fleet’s breast-cancer-awareness efforts.

A nice story came across the desk this a.m. via the Newton Citizen and reporter Chris Starrs. It’s about Conyers, Ga.-based small fleet owner Lewis “Junior” Pippin and his Junior Pippin Trucking fleet of around 50 trucks, 30 of them dump trucks, Starrs notes. He’s outfitted several with ribbons and messages such as you see in the photo by Newton Citizen staff photographer Karen Rohr, following his wife’s battle with breast cancer.  

Follow this link for the full report.

Pippin joins the efforts of many around the industry I’ve written about from time to time. There was the Great Lakes Convoy for women’s cancers at last year’s Expedite Expo in Ohio, and of course, Eldon Jaeger and the 2000 Peterbilt 379 Long Haul Survivor awareness truck — the custom unit is being raffled off, and the big day is getting fairly close. The final winner will be drawn at the May 2-3 Midwest Pride in Your Ride show in Iowa, where Jaeger and company are based.

Long Haul Survivor is a custom 2000 Peterbilt 379.Long Haul Survivor is a custom 2000 Peterbilt 379.

I was reminded of an idea one raffle participant sent along back in October:  Maureen Olson, who’d sent along a query as to potential for mail-order of tickets (details below) for the raffle, thought it’d be a great story to hear raffle participants’ ideas for what to do with the Long Haul Survivor Peterbilt — should they win. 

Here’s Olson’s own idea: 

Should I win, I’d like to use the rig as a “bobtail educational tool” and travel to various “Touch-a-Truck” events here in New England…. This would give younger folks (our future drivers) a “hands-on” feel for the truck, responsibility and the industry. I also have a cousin who had to give up his rig in order to save his home when the economy tanked — perhaps I could get him back on the road on his own again. Hmmmm… Partners in business? Two great potential opportunities! Hey, you can’t win if you don’t try. 

Keep the shiny side up!

So how about it? What would you do with the Peterbilt were you to win? Tell us in the comments.

Tickets to enter the raffle are available with a $10 donation — interested parties can send checks via mail to:

Partner Insights
Information to advance your business from industry suppliers

Midwest Pride In Your Ride
304 1st Ave. East
Worthington, IA 52078

Checking in today with Mike Heiderscheit (whose wife, Brenda, and her battle with cancer were the primary inspirations for the benefit raffle), I learned that more than 9,000 raffle entries have been made thus far as Heiderscheit and Jaeger, Brenda’s father, have toured the truck shows throughout the last year. They’ll be at the Mid-West Truckers Association show in Peoria, Ill., at the end of the month, likewise the Mid-America Trucking Show in March in Louisville, Ky. — you can likewise donate to enter the raffle in person at those events. 

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