Thursday, March 22, 2012

Trucker Buddy launches 'Trucking Mentors'

Trucker Buddy's Randy Schwartzenburg
Here at MATS this week, Trucker Buddy International is launching a new program called Trucking Mentors. If you don't know what the Trucker Buddy organization is -- it's an independent, nonprofit group that helps educate school kids about truckers via a pen pal relationship. The kids learn about the role professional drivers play in our U.S. economy, where drivers travel, what kinds of goods they haul, and much much more.

Trucking Mentors is a program that's brand new at Trucker Buddy and long overdue to my way of thinking. It's directed at educating high school students on how to drive safely around commercial trucks. And let's face it, our teens need this in the worst way. Drivers signed up for this program visit their Trucker Buddy high school every 6-12 months to help young motorists learn about sharing the road with big trucks.

I talked to TBI Executive Director Randy Schwartzenburg on Thursday in the West Wing at MATS. He told me about the new program and asked me to spread the word. I could NOT be happier to do this. It's a no-brainer how much our teens who are out there just learning to drive can benefit from this program. It's one that can not only improve the image of truckers with our kids, but also save lives.

2 comments:

  1. lynncollver@yahoo.comMarch 22, 2012 at 4:08 PM

    I really like this alot ! So many have really never been "mentored" within the family and
    not only can the seasoned trucker educate concerning COMMON SENSE.safety issues and smart trucking,
    they will gain an emotional value from doing
    this and they will make new friends !
    GOTTA LOVE IT !
    ThankYou Lord for this program !!

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  2. This looks like a great idea to help these high school students and the general public understand more about trucking and how to drive near trucks. One thing that has always been my concern for all drivers is how to merge safely on to the freeway from an on ramp. Far too many adult drivers don't notice or pay much attention to trucks or a line of vehicles until the last 3 - 5 seconds before they merge on the freeway. Some car drivers are indecisive about whether to merge IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND the big truck that's already on the freeway and so they cut dangerously close to the front or back of the truck or drive on the shoulder before their speed is matched with the flow of traffic on the freeway. THE GENERAL PUBLIC has Way too much confusion about how to safely merge and I hope this would be addressed.

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