For the second time in just over a month, Canada’s TFI International has chipped to help the relief and rescue efforts of those devastated by a hurricane in the U.S. TFI has committed $250,000 to help with those efforts as Florida recovers from Hurricane Irma. The company, which owns Joplin, MO-based truckload carrier CFI, previously donated that amount to Hurricane Harvey relief.
CFI also has donated vehicles and time to help move relief supplies.
“TFI International, once again, is doing its part to help with a donation of $250,000. TFI is honored to support our communities during such difficult times. It is important that we come together to help mitigate Irma’s terrible consequences,” TFI International President Alain Bedard said in a press release.
Bedard acknowledged the kind of impact that Hurricane Irma could possibly inflict before it even hit the anticipated areas as he noted in the press release. “Hurricane Irma is the strongest hurricane ever to hit Florida and the Caribbean. The hurricane has left behind catastrophic devastation, starting what could become a complex, multi-country relief and recovery effort.”
In the same press release, Bedard called out for others to contribute whatever they can to the relief efforts. “We encourage you to do your part as well. Please consider donating to the Hurricane Irma Appeal online at www.redcross.org.”
The trucking, shipping and logistics industries have stepped up in a time of need, providing personnel, expertise, equipment and monetary donations to both Texas and Florida.
The American Logistics Aid Network has succeeded in leveraging its connections to help. This network succeeded to get relief transported in cities and towns where they are needed the most. Areas with improving situations are posted regularly on its website while areas with needs that have yet to be fulfilled are posted as well.
As of September 13, 2017, there were still needs to transport in general from Virginia to Georgia, for the transportation of medical equipment to Houston, and refrigerated transportation, also to Houston. They even provided a link for the “needs map” for real time updates on which area need which kinds of relief.
The case of a stolen truck used to distribute relief turned out to be one of the more interesting cases of “giving back.” The truck ended up in Indiana after it was reported stolen from the campus of Texas Tech University. Since it will be returned eventually to its owner, the people behind the effort thought it would be better to take some donations along with it.
The idea stemmed from the fact that the workers were getting done with the repairs at the same time when Hurricane Harvey started wreaking havoc on Houston and adjacent areas. The dealership behind the initiative to return the truck to its rightful owner managed to collect relief goods like toiletries, diapers, bottled water and gift cards. Guy Caylor, the registered owner of the truck, told Fox 59 that the truck arrived September 10, 2017. The relief goods were then moved to a trailer for distributing to evacuees staying at the Sienna Plantation, also in Texas.
Caylor thanked Gene Lewis Ford, the man who helped him get back the stolen truck, and the Lebanon, IN, community for taking good care of the truck and the relief efforts that came with it in an email that he shared with Fox 59. He enumerated these donors as “Napa, Farmers Bank, Venis Truck & Repair Stewart and all the good people of Lebanon, Indiana.”