Omnitracs Vice President of Marketing Jim Gardner said the company wanted to focus on education as part of its corporate social responsibility.
“We’ve been involved with some of the Dallas-area high schools already, and we felt it was also important to reach out to younger grade levels as well,” Gardner said.
The book Omnitracs donated, Papa Doug Hauls Strawberries and Smiles, is a story that helps show children there is a good side to trucking and truck drivers.
“It teaches them about the role truck drivers play in getting goods from here to there,” Gardner said. “We feel like it’s important to educate the public, even the younger members of the public, on the nature of commercial transportation and trucking. The industry should be seen in a positive light and be better understood, and it helps to start showing the good things trucking does at a young age.”
Randy Schwartzenburg, executive director of Trucker Buddy, said donations and books like this help with the organization’s mission.
“Our mission is to improve the image of the industry and encourage students to excel, and products and donations like this that show students the good side of the industry always helps,” Schwartzenburg said. “It shows that drivers are normal people trying to make a living, just like their parents.”
Of the 250 books donated, 130 of them were given to a Boy Scouts troop at the Great American Trucking Show, and some books were also given out during the show to drivers with young children. Schwartzenburg said the rest of the books will be sent to teachers who are part of the Trucker Buddy program if requested.
“It’s just one more way to educate young students about the trucking industry and how important it is to their lives,” Shwartzenburg said.
Omnitracs also donated 300 copies of the same book to the Dallas Independent School District.
